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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-02-08 Daily Xml
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River Murray Flood

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Leader of the Opposition) (15:19): My question is again to the Minister for Climate, Environment and Water. What has the minister done to reassure communities that she has not abandoned them during the worst natural disaster in the state's history—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: —and how many meetings has she had with River Murray communities since the election?

The SPEAKER: Leader, there is a—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Mawson! Member for West Torrens.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Standing order 97, sir.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for West Torrens raises standing order 97. I anticipate his concern is in relation to opinion or argument in the question. I give the leader the opportunity to rephrase the question.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: Thank you, Mr Speaker. How any meetings has the minister had with River Murray communities since the election, and can she identify which groups she has met with?

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Minister for Defence and Space Industries, Minister for Climate, Environment and Water) (15:20): I will have to go to my diary to look at all of the meetings, because there have been so many. Most people have noticed the flood experience was a long time coming and is still with us and will be here for a long time. The amount of meetings that I had in the lead-up but also in the context of trying to fix up the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, where the capitulator over there left us without any water—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Flinders is warned. The member for Morphett is on a final warning. It is a substantial contribution today, outside of the standing orders. Member for Morialta.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Let's go with 127.

The SPEAKER: Very well; it's a matter that we traversed yesterday, and 127(b) and (c) may very well be the sections that the member for Morialta raises with me. It's not permissible under the standing orders to impute an improper motive and, as well, of course reflecting on members is discouraged. Deputy Premier.

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I will take your discouragement on referring to the royal commission findings again about the River Murray. As I have already explained, I am unable to give you the precise number because there are so many, and I will bring that back. It would be absurd to suggest one: any casual glance at my social media will tell you how many times I have been in the Murray-Darling area and how many communities I have met with.

So it seems quite extraordinary. In fact, I have been with members of your backbench and front bench during several of those meetings, as well as without them, and have had excellent feedback, by the way—not necessarily about all of the local members but some. I am not sure if the substance of the question is not—

The Hon. L.W.K. Bignell interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Mawson is warned.

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: —in fact an attempt to impute improper motive on my part, that somehow I am not present in the Murray-Darling.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: He is very welcome to be the leader of the left; he is an excellent—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: We are collectivist over here. We actually share things over here.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Hammond!

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: We like each other. I know this is totally foreign to you but we like each other and we trust each other.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Cheltenham is called to order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister has concluded her answer. We are going to turn to the member for King and then we will come to the member for Chaffey.

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