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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-09-17 Daily Xml
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Emergency Services Levy

Mr TARZIA (Hartley) (14:45): Supplementary to the Treasurer: the Altavilla club has brought me their ESL bills which demonstrate that their liability has increased from $178.70 last year to $640.50 this year. My question is: does the Treasurer believe that this 258 per cent bill rise, and similar rises for other sports and community clubs, will reduce the viability of community associations across the state?

Mr Marshall: Yes, it will, it absolutely will.

The SPEAKER: The leader is warned. Treasurer.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (14:45): It is interesting that the member for Hartley has not raised once the $4.1 million worth of cuts by the commonwealth to his schools in his electorate. It seems to me that he is very interested—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I know. I would be interested to know what the member for Hartley's—

Mr PISONI: Point of order sir. This is about the emergency services levy, not the federal budget.

The SPEAKER: Yes, I uphold the point of order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Mr Speaker, I would be interested to know what the member for Hartley's emergency services levy bill is.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Yes, perhaps he should ask his mum for it.

The SPEAKER: If the member for Hartley's lips move out of order, he will be joining the member for MacKillop, who is welcome to rejoin us. Come back: all is forgiven.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Mr Speaker, it seems to me that the increases to the emergency services levy through the removal of remissions can be reversed at a moment's notice.

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: All it takes is for the commonwealth government to maintain its commitment to our hospitals, our schools and our pensioners.

Mr PENGILLY: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: I have a point of order before the member for Finniss has his. I heard the member for Chaffey's interjection, and he will rise and apologise for it.

Mr GARDNER: I'm not sure you heard it correctly, sir.

The SPEAKER: No, I did hear it correctly. It was reference to a member's mother.

Mr WHETSTONE: Mr Speaker, he made a reference to the member for Hartley's mother.

The SPEAKER: You will apologise now or you will be leaving the chamber.

Mr WHETSTONE: Sir, I would like some clarification around the Treasurer's reference to the member for Hartley's mother.

The SPEAKER: I didn't hear that and, if someone wants to take that point of order, they may. Meanwhile, the member for Chaffey will leave the chamber for an hour.

The honourable member for Chaffey having withdrawn from the chamber:

Mr GARDNER: Point of order, sir. The Treasurer has made a reference to the member for Hartley's mother that the member for Chaffey has unfortunately responded to against your ruling. Earlier today, he made a reference to members being schizophrenic, yesterday he made a reference to someone having Tourette's. These offensive answers are provocative—

The SPEAKER: I will deal with them seriatim, but does someone wish to take the point that the Treasurer is out of order about something that occurred in the last two minutes?

Mr GARDNER: Yes, sir.

The SPEAKER: And what is that?

Mr GARDNER: My point of order is that it is unparliamentary language and offensive language.

The SPEAKER: And what was that?

Mr GARDNER: It was the comment that was made in the reference to the member for Hartley's mother.

The SPEAKER: But what was that?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Mr Speaker, I said the member for Hartley could provide his emergency services bill and, if he doesn't have it, to ask his parents for it. I didn't mean any offence by it at all, sir.

The SPEAKER: I'm sorry, what did the Treasurer say?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: To provide his emergency services levy bill. I didn't mean to cause any offence; if I did, I apologise.

The SPEAKER: Good, thank you.

Mr TARZIA: I think we can operate in a much more professional manner moving forward, but I take no offence at that, thank you.

The SPEAKER: Thank you. The member for Reynell.

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