House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-10-19 Daily Xml

Contents

City of Mitcham

Mr TARZIA (Hartley) (14:35): My question is to the Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing again. Why was the Colonel Light West Tennis Club offered $250,000 in grants recently, despite the pre-election announcement by the member for Elder being $140,000? With leave of the house—

The SPEAKER: Member for Hartley, please be seated. There is a point of order I will hear from the member for West Torrens.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Chaffey is on one warning.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Standing order 97, sir: the question has assumed facts in it.

The SPEAKER: There is some force in what the Leader of Government Business, member for West Torrens, raises with me. I am going to give the member for Hartley an opportunity to recast the question.

Mr TARZIA: On what basis was the Colonel Light West Tennis Club allocated $250,000 in grants? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The question still has assumed facts, sir: standing order 97.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I do not necessarily have the documents in front of me. I understand that there may have been a text sent to me; I have not had the opportunity to absorb those materials. In any event, there is some force in what is said. There is some force in what is raised with me under the standing orders. I am going to allow the question.

Mr TARZIA: With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain which may give some context.

The SPEAKER: That does assist. Leave is sought; is leave granted?

Leave granted.

Mr TARZIA: An email from the Mitcham council to the Office of Recreation, Sport and Racing from 1 June reads:

Attached is the Facebook post from [the member for Elder now, then candidate] announcing the $140,000 for Colonel Light West Tennis Club, unsure where the $250,000 came from.

Also, a Facebook post from the then candidate for Elder on 4 December shows the amount for the upgrade depicted as $120,000.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Treasurer has the call.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Treasurer) (14:38): I am happy to respond to this question about again providing funds to improve facilities once again in the electorate of Elder.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Morialta! Order! Member for Morialta, you are on two warnings. The Treasurer has the call.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: As I said in my previous answer, these funds were provided to that club to improve their facilities. I don't think there is anything extraordinary—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Morialta is now on three warnings. The Treasurer has the call.

Mr Tarzia interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Hartley, please depart the chamber until the remainder of question time under 137A. The Treasurer has the call.

The honourable member for Hartley having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: These funds were provided to improve the facilities at that particular club.