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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2017-09-26 Daily Xml
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Motions

Chamber Broadcasting

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Justice Reform, Minister for Planning, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Child Protection Reform, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for Consumer and Business Services, Minister for the City of Adelaide) (11:03): I move:

1. That this house authorises the sound and audiovisual broadcast of proceedings of the house, including the estimates committees—

(a) on the broadcast system within the precincts of Parliament House;

(b) by webcast on the internet; and

(c) on the Parliament of South Australia video-on-demand broadcast system, and by a live feed to persons and organisations approved by the Speaker.

2. The broadcast or rebroadcast of proceedings and excerpts of proceedings of the house, including the estimates committees, is authorised on terms and conditions as determined by the Speaker from time to time.

3. This resolution shall continue in force unless and until amended or rescinded by the house in this or a subsequent parliament.

The SPEAKER: Minister, would you like to make some remarks? It is not necessary, but you are free to.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I will be very brief because I can see other enthusiastic people here are very keen to speak. It is fairly clear that we have got to the point now where there is a reasonable expectation by most citizens that they should have access, other than by means of their presence, to the deliberations of this parliament. It is consistent with openness and transparency in the provision of government and government services to the community and I think the provisions contained in this proposal strike a reasonable balance between that and the unnecessary intrusive observation of members who are otherwise about their orderly business in the parliament. For those reasons, I commend the motion.

Mr GARDNER (Morialta) (11:05): It gives me great pleasure to support this motion and indicate that the opposition supports this motion. I am very pleased that the government has moved a long way in the six years since I brought legislation to this house requiring that the Joint Parliamentary Service Committee make available video recordings, directly streamed through the internet, to the people of South Australia so that they can see what goes on in this parliament, in this building, and so that they can see the laws that affect their lives being made. It is, in fact, a principle that the people of Yemen had access to the audio streaming of their parliament—let's call it a parliament—before the South Australian people did. When that was turned on about five or six years ago, we were very pleased that we were able to catch up to Yemen in regard to this important democratic principle.

Since this parliament first sat next door in 1857, the people of South Australia have had a right to come in and access the proceedings of the parliament in the public gallery because it is so important that democracy be transparent, open and accountable. It is a principle that South Australia has been a leader on, yet South Australia is basically the last place in the western world that has video streaming of the parliament. We are the last parliament in Australia. All the states and territories and the national parliament got there first.

This was a matter that was being debated in the 1980s and 1990s elsewhere, and finally, here we are in 2017. I note the member for Playford was Speaker when the government first talked about doing this nearly a decade ago, but took no action on it, made no movement on it. When I got here in 2010, I thought it was slightly unusual that my constituents were able to come in here if they had nothing else happening, if they were interested in an issue, whether it was euthanasia, whether it was the way the budget was being spent, or whether it was to see the government being held to account during question time.

I thought it was unusual that my constituents could come into the chamber and see that debate happening, see what their members of parliament were doing, but only if they had nothing else happening, only if they were able and mobile. That is helpful for my constituents, who mostly live within striking distance of Parliament House, but for any of the regional members' constituents it was inconvenient for them to get in unless they gave up days to come in to view the parliament. Their only opportunity at that stage was to wait until 4 o'clock the following day and read the Hansard.

Then, in 2011 or 2012, we had the audio streaming catching up to democratic luminaries like Yemen, and now we are catching up to Trinidad and Tobago, to New Zealand, to the United States and to the various parliamentary committees in Westminster, which are sticklers for tradition. It has taken them a while to get there. This has been happening all around the world. On the radio this morning I heard the Speaker talking about it in dulcet tones, backed up by the paragons of the fourth estate in Nick Harmsen and Mike Smithson, lauding its virtues, and they were right.

I am very pleased that we have reached this point. I commend the Speaker for helping to ensure that the government would make provision in the budget this year to enable this to happen, but it is something that should have happened a long time ago. We are pleased that the government has finally got on board. It is something this side of the house has, in fact, been clearly supportive of for a very long time indeed.

The SPEAKER: I now call on the Treasurer, who has had a difficult fortnight.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy) (11:09): Liverpool were successful against Leicester, sir, so I am not quite sure what you are talking about.

The SPEAKER: I am referring to the free kick after the siren for the West Coast Eagles and the one point defeat in the SANFL grand final, and his opportunity now to watch the Adelaide Football Club win the AFL premiership on Saturday, which I am sure he will avail himself of.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Yes, sir. It is no secret that you support so many clubs you almost cannot lose. First, I would like to pass on my regards to David Bevan, who is probably the only person watching right now. It is important that the parliament does broadcast the proceedings of this parliament, and it is interesting to note the interjections of members opposite who cannot actually flick the whinge switch off. Even while we are actually making this parliament more available to the public they are still decrying government efforts. It just goes to show, again, that as we move forward the opposition knows only one gear, and that is whinge.

It is just remarkable that even at a moment when we are broadcasting for the first time across South Australia the first speech broadcast by a Liberal MP in this parliament is about whingeing.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Again interjections, showing the behaviour of members opposite and how they cannot even follow standing orders. In fact, I look forward to the proceedings of this parliament being broadcast so that all Liberal backbenchers become famous and so that we can all see the remarks they make late at night that they hope, in their heart of hearts, no-one ever sees; for example, when the member for Finniss interjected about our former prime minister, and other remarks were made that have been disparaging of members of this parliament. Now, once and for all, we will allow this parliament to shine a light on the prejudices the Liberal Party has in them.

Mr Gardner interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Of course it is important to note, again, that members opposite were heard in silence and here they are, we have been broadcasting for not even five minutes and they are interjecting.

Mr Gardner: Your interjections are homophobic and racist.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Homophobic and racist, there you are. It is just remarkable the depths to which they will go. Privilege is an amazing thing, as well, that members opposite enjoy, and I invite the member for Morialta to repeat his allegations outside the parliament in the pure light so every constituent in South Australia can see him back up those accusations that I am a racist or that I am homophobic.

He is shaking his head saying that he did not say those things: of course we just heard him say those things. It just shows how appalling their behaviour is, and that is why this measure, above all measures, will show exactly what the opposition is like.

Mr Marshall: We've read the Gillman report. We've heard the way you speak to public servants. We've all read the Gillman report.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: It just goes to show, again, that the Leader of the Opposition's hypocrisy knows no bounds. While supporting a member of parliament who is facing serious criminal allegations to remain in this place, he calls on other members of parliament who are charged with serious criminal allegations to resign from parliament. That is the hypocrisy of members opposite, and that is what this system will show up, that hypocrisy. They say one thing outside the parliament and they say another inside the parliament.

This system will show them up for what they are. They are a barrier to new ideas, they are hypocrites inside and outside the parliament, they will say and do anything to win, and now this system will show them up for what they are. They are vacuous and they have no policies. They are offering no positive agenda forward for this state. Indeed, as we are opening this parliament—

Mr Marshall: The bill you are talking about was our bill; this was what we have been proposing for a decade.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Again, just yelling across the chamber is not a substitute for policy. We are implementing new changes to the parliament and all members are—

The SPEAKER: Treasurer, will you be seated. It is the first day of the new system. We could all turn over a new leaf. Obviously, the Leader of the Opposition has remarks he wishes to make, and he may make them when I call him.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. The unfortunate thing about the coverage of the parliament is that what the public usually sees are only snippets from question time. What they do not get to see are the in-depth debates, the work that members of parliament do in private members' bills, the work they do in understanding how bills and legislation are made. They will be able to follow the debate of their members of parliament in the chamber now, and understand the reasons we have for legislating and the reasons others have for opposition of bills. It will improve the democratic outcomes for the people of South Australia.

The unfortunate thing about previously broadcasting only question time, when the media was only interested in coming along to see debate or sparring between one side and the other, is that it gave a very jaded view to the public about exactly what happens in this place.

Overwhelmingly, members in this parliament are committed to doing the right thing by the people of South Australia. This measure will allow South Australians to see the good work that we do and will inform them of what they want their members of parliament to be doing. It will help constituents to get involved in the political process. It will allow them to follow and track private members' bills that they may have asked or lobbied their members of parliament to move.

The SPEAKER: If the Treasurer would address the Speaker, that would make the camera operator's job easier.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I apologise, sir. The ultimate benefit this will bring is that it will give people who feel disenfranchised by the political process more of a say, more of an idea of how the process is occurring and, most importantly, keep members of parliament more accountable for their actions in this parliament. That is, if you say one thing in a community and do another in parliament, it is now more visible.

Mr WILLIAMS (MacKillop) (11:15): Everybody has seen that I just pulled a button off my jacket when I tried to button it up.

The SPEAKER: Well, you are excited, as we all are.

Mr WILLIAMS: Thank you, sir. I rise to congratulate the parliament on taking this measure. I totally agree with what my colleague the member for Morialta has said, but I do want to add a word of caution. He was glowing in his praise for the increase in democracy that will flow from this change. The parliament, obviously, has an incredibly important role in this state, as the body that makes the laws of the state. One thing I would hate the people of South Australia to think is that this is a great step forward in our democratic tradition, when the day-to-day working of government in the state is carried out by the executive.

Whilst the parliament is taking a great stride forward, there has been for a considerable number of years a great reluctance, particularly on this government's part, for the executive to become more accountable. I speak mainly of the freedom of information laws and their operation in this state. I have held for a long time a grave concern about the lack of freedom of information in this state, about the secrecy with which the executive operates.

I think we could very well take a large leaf, or even many leaves, from our cousins across the way in New Zealand. I did a study tour there some years ago and looked into their freedom of information laws, which are completely the opposite of ours. The presumption in New Zealand is that all the information held by government should be available to the people, and the only time it is kept secret is if there is some good reason, if to release the information would cause some specific harm to the state or to an individual. In this state, the opposite is the way that we operate, and the presumption is that information be kept secret and only under extenuating circumstances can the public have access to it.

I congratulate the parliament. Interestingly enough, I understand that we are live as I speak, yet we are debating the motion to give authority for that. Be that as it may, I congratulate the parliament on taking this step. I hope that in the not too distant future there is a serious review of the freedom of information laws in this state and that we do put some level of accountability on to the executive.

Motion carried.

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