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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-02-24 Daily Xml
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Expert Panel on Planning Reform

Ms DIGANCE (Elder) (14:27): My question is to the Minister for Planning. Can the minister inform the house on the status of the government's response to the expert panel on planning's report, 'The Planning System We Want'.

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Justice Reform, Minister for Planning, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Child Protection Reform) (14:28): Mr Speaker, as you would be aware, in February 2013 I commissioned an independent review of South Australia's planning system. The review was conducted by an independent expert panel chaired by Mr Brian Hayes QC. It was a review designed to straddle the last general election to ensure that substance rather than politics came first.

The expert panel received 245 submissions, involved more than 2,500 participants, held 92 meetings, briefings and workshops with interested parties, and engaged with 68 councils. On 23 September 2014, following the release of the expert panel's interim report, I invited the panel to provide a briefing for all MPs in the Old Chamber of Old Parliament House. My recollection is that on that occasion the Leader of the Opposition and the shadow minister were both present. I received a final report of the expert panel on 'The Planning System We Want' on 12 December 2014.

A week later, on 19 December 2014, my office briefed the shadow minister for planning (the member for Goyder) on the contents of that report, with two officers from DPTI. I am advised that the briefing was conducted in a bipartisan manner (as it always is with the member for Goyder), that is, that the member for Goyder raised a series of questions from his review of the report and the department officers responded with answers that (at least, it appeared) were well received by the member for Goyder. I'm also advised that the member for Bragg popped her head into the member for Goyder's office during the course of the briefing, but, alas, for an all too fleeting moment.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: We did see her but pass by.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: We did but see her passing by. In any event, on the basis of the timely briefing provided to the shadow minister for planning, it is now a little odd to see the Leader of the Opposition criticise the government for not providing a briefing and for being 'disrespectful'. This is simply not the case. In comments attributed to the Leader of the Opposition in a recent article in InDaily—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: Man under pressure.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: —it was suggested the government is—

The SPEAKER: The Treasurer is warned for the second and final time.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: It was suggested that the government is not responding to the opposition's request for a detailed briefing. Again, with respect, this is not correct. To the best of my knowledge, the office has not received any request since the briefing in December with the shadow minister. At best, the Leader of the Opposition has a communication issue with members of the shadow cabinet; at worst, he is relaying inaccurate information to journalists. The fact remains that the government is currently considering its response to the expert report—currently considering. We hope to finalise that response soon. This much was made clear—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: This much was made clear in the Governor's—that's why I've explained the chronology, so it all makes sense. This much was made clear in the Governor's speech to parliament. Once it has been approved by cabinet I will be happy to brief the opposition in detail. Should the Leader of the Opposition or the shadow minister request that briefing, they will receive it, and, indeed, right here, right now, in this place, on this day, I offer it now. When I have something to brief those members on, I undertake they will receive that briefing, and I'll offer that as soon as I have something to brief them on.

Mr Marshall: Don't make the commitment verbally; you've got to put it in writing.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I'm getting ahead of the request. I'm actually making the offer: as soon as there is something to give a briefing on—

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley is called to order.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Mr Speaker, it is difficult to brief anybody, including the opposition, on something that does not yet exist. The government understands that successful reform to the planning system—

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order: in response to this being a question, which clearly is hypothetical—

The SPEAKER: I hope it's a point of order.

Ms CHAPMAN: Absolutely, because it's hypothetical. The minister just said there's nothing to report. It's completely hypothetical. The whole thing is just a complete fizzer—completely hypothetical.

Members interjecting:

Ms CHAPMAN: He's just said there was nothing to report.

The SPEAKER: If the deputy leader continues, she'll go out under the sessional orders. I'll listen carefully to what the Attorney-General is saying. The question was not hypothetical; it was about the status of the government's response, but the minister appears to be talking about the opposition's response.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: No, no; I was making the—

Mr Gardner: That's because they don't have one yet.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Look, he took the words right out of my mouth: I can quote Meatloaf. Anyway, can I just finish?

Mr PISONI: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: Yes, and what sessional order is the member for—

Mr PISONI: Time.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I was about to finish my answer and I was about to say something very important.

The SPEAKER: I'm willing to give the minister 10 seconds' time-on for the points of order.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, the government understands that successful reform of the planning system is too important to be held back by petty politics. I welcome the intimation by the Leader of the Opposition that he will be helpful in driving these reforms through the parliament.

The SPEAKER: That's it. Thank you. Leader.

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