House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-02-14 Daily Xml

Contents

GOVERNMENT PROMISES

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (15:24): My question is to the Premier. Why should the public believe Labor will deliver on promises made today when they haven't delivered on their promises: to build an underpass along South Road, beneath Port Road and Grange Road; to double the Mount Bold reservoir; to build new prisons; to build the South Road/Sturt Road underpass; to build an interchange at Darlington; not to increase taxes or introduce new taxes; not increase water rates; and not to sell state-owned assets?

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: On a point of order: the question is disorderly in that it contains obvious comment, quite inflammatory comment.

Mrs Redmond: I am just stating the facts.

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: You're 'just stating the facts'. I saw the Leader of the Opposition state the facts on the weekend when she said it was the State Executive of the Liberal Party who decided not to run a candidate, except she didn't mention that she was on that committee.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: She was on that committee, so let's not talk about 'the facts'.

The SPEAKER: Order, Minister for Transport!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I simply point out that the question was disorderly, as are the interjections, and what I would suggest is, having heard the question, that the Premier is absolutely at large in answering it.

Mrs Redmond: What's not a fact?

The SPEAKER: Order! I will allow the question because the other questions have followed a similar tone. However, I am sure the Premier will be able to handle that.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Minister for State Development) (15:26): Madam Speaker, it's the same question which just serves to reinforce that they are the absent political party. They have no ideas, they are firmly rooted in the past. In fact, what they are transfixed by is the last state election.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: The Leader of the Opposition is absolutely transfixed by the last state election, and the sad truth is that that is not capable of being re-run for the opposition leader. I know she was disappointed with the result, I know that those opposite were disappointed, but they do continue to rehearse all of their same grievances and concerns. What we were trying to do today, in this new parliament, was to lay out a plan for the future of this state. And, not a small thing, not a series of small ideas, not French villages in the Adelaide Hills, but something which is about—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Wouldn't it be nice? It would be nice, actually, but it is probably unlikely, but it would be nice. We tried to lay out a big plan for this state. We tried to grapple with the big public policy issues that are going to shape the future of our state for decades to come, and we'd be grateful if those opposite could join us in that debate rather than make cheap political points.

I don't know why they want to go back over a couple of by-elections that we won. I'd prefer to talk about them all week, actually. It is an enormous sense of pride to me to see two fantastic, young, talented women who will be coming into this parliament, strengthening our side of parliament, giving us the ideas and energy to ensure that we meet the needs of South Australians now and into the very long term.