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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-11-16 Daily Xml
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Nuclear Waste

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:49): My question is to the Premier. Does the Premier not believe that if he is seeking support for a proposal for the people of South Australia and for them to support that, then the people deserve to be assured that his ministerial colleagues, his cabinet colleagues, also support the proposition?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:49): I think that before the people of South Australia get an opportunity to consider this matter at a referendum, they would want to be assured that the Leader of the Opposition is providing his bipartisan support. We have heard two explanations as to why the Leader of the Opposition has withdrawn his bipartisan support: first, the citizens' jury that he himself described as a flawed process; and second, a report that says that you can't rely upon it to reach the conclusions he has reached. If this is the will of the Liberal Party as expressed by the Leader of the Opposition, where they have all been boxed into a corner, because he had a bit of a meltdown in an interview with—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Treasurer is on two warnings.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: We all know that they have been embarrassed into this position. They don't want to be in this position but they were embarrassed into it because they were driven to the obvious conclusion that, if they didn't back him, he would have to resign. They knew—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: They have saved him, and that's fine—prop him up. That's fine, and I understand why you did it. It was very loyal of you to do that, to prop him up, but you are taking a horrible risk. What if we get another episode like the 2014 state election? What if it all turns to horror again on the first day?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Treasurer is on thin ice.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: They are brave to back him up one more time. For those who are watching this and are thinking of perhaps putting their hopes and faith in the Leader of the Opposition, I will say this: don't rely upon this opposition to maintain their permanent position in relation to this matter. We saw how quickly it changed. We have seen the thin basis on which the only way the people of South Australia will get a true say in this is to stick with the Labor Party's position which allows them to have a voice in relation to this matter.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: We have a very full gallery today because of the active voluntary euthanasia debate. I don't know what they make of the behaviour of the house today. I imagine they are not impressed. Leader.

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