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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-09-14 Daily Xml
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Referendum Corflutes

Mr TELFER (Flinders) (14:55): My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Has the minister or his department given permissions for referendum corflute signage to be placed on department infrastructure?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:55): I don't know, but I hope we do because I believe in democracy and freedom of speech, and I think that government infrastructure that has been paid for by the taxpayer should be able to display a no sign or a yes sign freely. Why wouldn't we? First and foremost, I don't generally intervene at that level but, given the member has asked, I will go and check what the policy is. I think the policy generally is we allow in election campaigns political advertising. As much as it frustrates me, we even allow Liberal Party advertising on South Australian government infrastructure. As much as it pollutes the landscape, we allow it, but that is the price we pay for a democracy. That is the price we pay for a democracy.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Can you imagine seeing Sam Telfer's face on the infrastructure?

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Sorry—member for Flinders. I apologise and withdraw.

The SPEAKER: Order!

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

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for West Torrens, there is a point of order.

Mr Pederick interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Hammond, your colleague the member for Morialta is raising a point of order, under 134.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Standing order 98: the minister is now straying from the question.

The SPEAKER: Order! That may be. Minister, I will bring you back to the question.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I wouldn't call it straying. I would say it was 'diverting dramatically'. But, yes, I don't know. I would hope the department would be lenient because it is a referendum that South Australians will have to contemplate. Ultimately, I think that the bigger question here is that I would not stop one side or another. It is either all or none. I think that is appropriate. I think it is fair to say that we on this side of the house are supporting the yes vote overwhelmingly—

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —and members on the other side are unanimously for the no vote, unanimously.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I hear the interjections of support for the no vote by members opposite. I will have a great moment of pride when I walk in with my two daughters, my wife and I, when I will be voting yes, and I will be asking my daughters to fill in my ballot papers for me so we can be part of that process where we accept that there should be Indigenous engagement.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Report it to the Electoral Commissioner all you like. I will be putting it on Twitter. I will be putting it on Instagram. I will be walking in with my girls. In fact, last night my daughter said to me, 'Daddy, why does there even need to be a vote? Why isn't this happening already?' I said, 'I will tell you why: it's because of the Liberal Party. That's why we have to have a vote. We have to conquer ignorance.'

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for West Torrens, there is a—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Interjections to my left and right are preventing me from hearing the member for Morialta.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Standing order 98: a respectful question is now getting abuse from the minister and debate.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Newland! The member for Elizabeth! I have the question. I will listen carefully.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I don't know whether the Department for Infrastructure and Transport are tearing down no signs or yes signs. I hope they are not. In fact, I am supporter of people voicing their opinions on their front fences. As I heard the member say today on radio, he supports that as well. The truth is we have paid for those Stobie poles. Every South Australian has paid for every bit of the infrastructure across South Australia. Why can't they use it to voice their democratic opinions to say whether they support a Voice or are opposed to a Voice?

The Hon. V.A. Tarzia interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: My young friend just interjected 'exclude the rule of law'. I am not excluding the rule of law. What I am saying is, I err on the side of liberty. I am, dare I say it, liberal in my interpretation of how these laws are implemented. I want there to be a full and frank debate about the Voice. My family, I hope my constituents and I hope people I know and care about vote for it. I know that there is a lot of debate in our community and I hope that DIT infrastructure plays its part in promoting a loud and informative debate about the yes or no vote.

The SPEAKER: Order! It may be the last question of the week, it may not be, but I turn to the member for Morphett.

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