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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-06-13 Daily Xml
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Adelaide Aquatic Centre

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley) (14:33): I have another question for the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Is the new Adelaide Aquatic Centre being built to meet international competition standards?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:33): Our plan is to build—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Morialta, order! Member for Adelaide! The minister has the call. Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I would advise my young friend to coordinate the interjections. You can't say we are spending money on a pool when we've already got one at Marion and then demand to know why the new pool we are building is not just like Marion.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: It's an easy trick for young players to fall into. He needs mentoring. He needs a mentor. I would ask the older members to mentor but, looking at the backbench, there's only one he could take advice from—someone from the South-East, potentially, who might give him some advice about how to move forward and get some good structure around his questions.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I suspect the dead hand of a former administration—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Morialta!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —reaching out from the grave to give some advice. No, it will not be international competition standard: it's a recreation centre for people to learn how to swim, to stay fit and healthy, to go and encourage people to get involved in their local community, to connect with each other, to use sporting facilities. I would advise the members who represent the eastern suburbs to go to the Burnside pool. Have a look at how that interacts with the parklands there and think, 'Wouldn't that be nice to have in the Adelaide Parklands as well?'

An honourable member: I think you're digging a hole.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: We are digging a number of holes—for a pool, a very good pool, a pool that South Australians will use and love.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Newland!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I have to say all this opposition will be noted the day the ribbon is cut on the new facility. They can't think more than one move ahead. Let's factor in the opposition now: 'Too expensive.' 'Don't build it.' 'Waste of money.' 'Not competition size.'

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Where will they be on the day when it is opened? 'We could have done all of this for less.' That is what they will say. They will be there, trying to—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Morialta! Order! Member for Colton!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Listen to this. Listen to them squirm.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: This will be a world-class facility that the nation will look on with envy. It will be the best recreation facility for swimming in the country.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Colton!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: There will be water slides. There will be amenity for families, interacting with the Parklands. People will love this facility. In fact, I reckon when it's open they will claim it wasn't big enough because of the demand. They will claim we haven't factored in enough; we shouldn't have given land back to the Parklands. That is what they will say.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I think, quite frankly, the opposition should stop telling us what they are opposed to—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Colton!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —and tell us what they are for. Give us something you are in favour of—anything, one thing, something.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Morialta!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: What do you actually support? You are opposed to LIV Golf, opposed to Gather Round, opposed to Majors Road, opposed to the upgrade of South Road, and now you are opposed to the Aquatic Centre. What do the opposition actually stand for? They are opposed to the women's and kids' hospital upgrade. What do they actually stand for? What are they for? We know what you are opposed to. What are you in favour of?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Badcoe, member for Newland!

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

The SPEAKER: Member for Morialta on a point of order. I anticipate 'debate'.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: The minister may possibly have breached 98 at the end there.

The SPEAKER: Very well. There was a strong rhetorical flourish. I myself am opposed to interjections, and there have been a number. The member for Florey and the member for Colton are on final warnings.

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