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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-11-01 Daily Xml
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Sporting and Infrastructure Grants

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Leader of the Opposition) (14:37): My question is to the Premier. Will the Premier release the sports grants cabinet submission to the Auditor-General? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: Since the election alone the opposition has already approved the release of eight cabinet documents in full to the Auditor-General. Over the last four years, 154 cabinet documents were released in full to the Auditor-General. Yesterday, the Auditor-General confirmed that he is still waiting for the sports grants cabinet documents to fulfil his legislative obligations and that he has been refused all cabinet documents that he has requested from the Labor government. What is the Premier trying to hide?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier has the call.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:38): The answer to the question is that, as has been enunciated both publicly and also, if my recollection serves me accurately, in this chamber on multiple occasions, we value very deeply the importance of cabinet solidarity, the importance of cabinet—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier has the call.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —confidentiality. The policy—

Mr Telfer interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Flinders!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —that is being implied in respect to the release—

The Hon. J.A.W. Gardner interjecting:

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

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —of cabinet documents that this government applies is entirely consistent with what the former government applies, which is of course that the Premier of the day or, in respect to the opposition, the leader of the respective political party has the responsibility to authorise the release of cabinet documents and they have to make that decision. The reason why they have to make that decision is, as the Leader of the Opposition fully appreciates, the only people in our state who are entitled to cabinet documents are members of the cabinet themselves. We think that—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —there are very good reasons for that principle which is well established, which those opposite I think would truly appreciate, which have been in place for hundreds of years and are worthy of preservation.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Unley!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: Now, the Leader of the Opposition—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —may well say, and this is a legitimate point to make, well, we—on your side of the house that is—are happy to release cabinet documents, which begs the question: why would you be comfortable with that? I get the sense that in no small part that is a function of the culture that exists on that side of the house versus this one, because—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Colton knows better.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —if you have a cabinet and a party room that are leaking like sieves anyway, you may as well put it all out there. You may as well put it all out there, whereas on this side—

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Colton, if you wish to interject, then raise a point of order. The member for Morialta certainly has done so correctly, and I will turn to him.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Standing order, 98: debate. The Premier started out with a discussion about cabinet confidentiality. He is now going into vaudeville.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for West Torrens! I give the Premier some latitude because he is the Premier. I will listen carefully.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: On this side of the house, there is no culture of leaking against one another. On this side of the house, when things are meant to be kept in confidence, that's exactly what we intend to do. Of course, it stands in stark contrast to the value and the opportunity to be able to—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier has the call.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: With the opportunity to be able to apply a degree of compare and contrast, on this side of the house we see concerted efforts—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Colton, you are warned. The Premier has the call.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: On the other side of the house, we see a concerted effort, if not an ingrained culture, in leaking, in putting information out in the public realm that isn't supposed be out in the public realm—

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! There is a—

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: We see membership lists—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Chaffey, you are warned for a second time. Order, member for West Torrens!

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Standing order, 98. The Premier is debating and doing so in a way that completely undermines public confidence in the Auditor-General.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Colton is on one warning. The Member for Morialta is also on one warning. I have the point of order. The Premier is familiar with standing order 98. I bring him to the substance of the question.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: Again, to compare and contrast, the culture for leaking on that side of the house is so bad now that they seek to dress it up as a data breach.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: They think Optus makes them look good.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Premier, please be seated.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Under standing order 98—

The SPEAKER: Member for Morialta!

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: —the Premier should know not to debate. He is debasing this parliament and making question time a farce.

The SPEAKER: Member for Morialta, I have the point of order. There was a good deal of interjection from both sides making it difficult to hear. I will listen carefully to the Premier. I bring the Premier directly to the substance of the question.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: What is meant to be confidential on this side of the house remains confidential. It's an important principle and we intend to uphold it.

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