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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-11-01 Daily Xml
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Country Fire Service

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL (Mawson) (15:27): It is great to follow on from the member for Hammond and the outrageous claims he has made in here today. I represent an area, like he does, that was devastated in that summer of 2019-2020. I can tell you that, adding insult to the injury and the suffering that those poor people on Kangaroo Island went through for over a month as those fires raged, the one thing that upset the people as much as anything I have ever seen upset a community was the way the former Liberal government treated CFS personnel. He has come in here and made accusations against this government, when we have the biggest mopping up operation ever of any government coming in and trying to fix up the damage that was done to CFS volunteers around the state.

Do not try to sheet it home to this current government because the rot began under the Liberal government. All I have seen from this minister since he got in is a willingness to try to fix the damage that the Liberal government did to CFS volunteers across the state. I have seen a willingness from this minister to quietly sit down with volunteers and have discussions with those people.

It was an outrageous thing the way these people were treated, not to be told what the charges were and to be told they could not speak to anyone in their brigade. Did that include their children who were also in the same brigade? This could have been handled a whole lot better. The former minister sits here, he was here in this chamber during estimates—

Mr Pederick interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Hammond!

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: He was here in this chamber during estimates refusing to answer—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: —question after question after question. So while this minister is in here trying to fix up your mess, it's a bit rich your having a crack at someone who is actually doing the right thing.

Mr Pederick interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Hammond!

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: What I was going to talk about today were some wonderful things in the electorate of Mawson, including the Kingscote show on the weekend. I want to thank the organisers who are doing such a great job of bringing the community of Kangaroo Island together in a great celebration of everything from motor vehicles and equestrian events to floral displays and photographic displays.

It is a tremendous day, and there are plenty of rides there for the kids as well, and pets there for the kids to come along and have a look at and play with. What I like the most is just setting up the stall and listening to local people who come and talk to me and have discussions about what it is they are after in their community, as well as any gripes they might have with government services and so forth.

The day before that was another great day in the electorate. It was the 50th McLaren Vale Bushing Lunch, which is the function where we crown the bushing monarch—that could be a king or a queen—of the area who wins the best wine for the region. It was a Chalk Hill Tempranillo Grenache that took out the prize this year, and I want to congratulate Tom and Renee from Chalk Hill for the wonderful job they do.

It was a bit of a home ground win—the lunch this year was actually at the wonderful Chalk Hill winery, with over 600 people in the marquee. A tremendous day was had by all as we acknowledged all the different trophy winners across the different classes. Again, thanks to the McLaren Vale Grape Wine and Tourism Association and everyone who is involved in that.

I also want to do a shout-out to Kaye Maslin who yesterday finished up after 22 years and two months of being the owner of the Delamere General Store. She finished up yesterday and sold it on to another couple from Yankalilla, who take over from today.

When Kaye was a 10 year old she used to go down to Delamere with her dad every weekend, and she said, 'One day I'm going to own that shop.' When she left school she worked for 20 years in the Normanville Foodland to save the money to buy it, and after 20 years she bought it; 22 years and two months later she sold it. We want to thank Kay for the wonderful service she has given to the local area. She is going to stay there and continue volunteering, which includes being a volunteer in the CFS.

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