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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-02-21 Daily Xml
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Local Government Elections

Mr TELFER (Flinders) (15:03): My question is for the Minister for Local Government. At any time after the local government elections did the minister request a briefing or information from the Electoral Commissioner of South Australia regarding any issues with election processes and, if not, why not?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister has the call.

The Hon. G.G. BROCK (Stuart—Minister for Local Government, Minister for Regional Roads, Minister for Veterans Affairs) (15:03): To answer your question, member for Flinders, yes. As he would understand, the local government elections were amended by the previous government in 2021 to require all candidates—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Taylor!

The Hon. G.G. BROCK: —in local government elections to lodge their campaign donation returns with the Electoral Commissioner rather than with the chief executive officer of the relevant council. This change—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister has the call. The member for Flinders is called to order. The member for Wright is called to order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The house will come to order. Unless there is a point of order, the minister has the call. Member for Wright, gestures are contrary to the standing orders. Minister, have you concluded your answer? The minister has the call.

The Hon. G.G. BROCK: The legislation was changed by the previous government and went though this parliament in 2021, which made it quite clear that the Electoral Commission was to handle the elections completely in isolation and away from the Local Government Association and also this parliament. It was made quite clear by the previous parliament that they wanted the Electoral Commission and the elections to be—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G.G. BROCK: —independent of all of the opportunities of both the LGA and also this parliament. If I might say, that precludes anyone from anywhere getting involved with it.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G.G. BROCK: Also, as part of the decision of the local government sector at that particular time, the member for Flinders was the president of the LGA who facilitated that with the previous government.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Members to my left and right! Member for Hurtle Vale! The member for Flinders will cease interjecting.

The Hon. G.G. BROCK: The way the legislation was, it precluded anybody from politics to actually get a briefing from the Electoral Commissioner. However, after the election—it was on the Wednesday of the last sitting of parliament—at 6 o'clock at night I was advised what the anomalies were with the disclosure of the returns by the Electoral Commissioner, going through the Office of Local Government. I was advised at 6.30 on that Wednesday night. The next day I asked for a briefing to understand a bit more from the Electoral Commissioner at 12 o'clock, and then I had that discussion with the Electoral Commissioner. Then at 2 o'clock that afternoon on the Thursday I made a ministerial statement. From that day on, we have been able to work our way through this.

At the end of the day, the previous legislation was very, very clear that the previous government and the minister at the time and also the president of the Local Government Association wanted it away from politics—independently, away from this chamber. So I make no bones about these stupid comments being made outside, fearmongering and confusing the general public—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Flinders! Member for West Torrens!

The Hon. G.G. BROCK: If it had been done the right way, it would have been handled the old way previously, and we would have had the opportunity to have some discussion with the Electoral Commissioner to understand whether there were any issues leading up to the election in 2021. This parliament made those decisions. This parliament made the law, and I had to actually go by the legislation, and I make no bones about that. We could not interfere, could not get any briefings from the Electoral Commissioner, and we were going to fix this mess up once and for all.

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