House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-04-07 Daily Xml

Contents

Member for Waite

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens) (15:09): My question is to the Premier. Does the Premier stand by his public remarks in relation to the member for Waite in relation to his drunken conduct and potential criminal conduct in the parliament? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: In relation to a media statement, the Premier was asked by ABC presenter David Bevan: 'Do you think there's any course, any path back to redemption for Sam Duluk?' The Premier answered, 'I think it would be extraordinarily difficult.'

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (15:09): Sir, as you would be more than aware, I have answered a large number of questions with regard to this matter in the parliament. This seems to have been the obsession of the opposition for most of this year. Even when we were confronting the onset of the COVID-19 virus, there was not a single question that was coming from those opposite. They have an absolute obsession with this matter. I stand by—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I think it's instructive that, on a day when South Australia has recorded its first death associated with the COVID-19 virus, this is the standard that we now expect from the opposition.

Mr Brown interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Playford, you are on two warnings.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: You are not asking reasonable questions about the issues that really are concerning the people of South Australia.

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader is warned.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: You are not asking the questions—

The Hon. S.C. Mullighan interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Lee!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —which are of importance to the people of South Australia but, of course, going back to their tired, tired playbook. I have said all I need to on this—

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: There is a point of order, Premier. I think I can anticipate the point of order: for debate?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Yes, sir.

The SPEAKER: I have to admit that I am tending to lean to agree with that, member for West Torrens, so would the Premier like come back to the substance of the question or I will hear another question. Premier.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I would be very happy to come back to the substance of the question, sir. I stand by all public comments that I have made—comments that I have made in this chamber and comments that I have made more broadly in the general public.