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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-10-19 Daily Xml
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Question Time

Federal Voice to Parliament Referendum

Mr PATTERSON (Morphett) (14:47): My question is to the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science. Did the Deputy Premier attend the advanced manufacturing in South Australia breakfast on 18 October 2023 and does she agree with comments made by Ms Power at the event? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr PATTERSON: It has been reported in The Advertiser on 19 October that during the Welcome to Country, Ms Power used a taxpayer event to call for the King to be dethroned, attacked no Voice voters for leaving her powerless and likened the referendum result to the war in Gaza.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

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) (14:47): Extraordinary. There are a number of ways of answering this question. First of all, the kind of state and country we live in doesn't seek to censor people who do Welcomes to Country. It doesn't say, 'Show us what you are going to say. Let us approve it.'

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: The question was: was I there? Yes, I was there. That was the first question. The second question that was asked was: do I agree with what Katrina Power said? Then there was a representation of what she said articulated that used the word 'attack'.

Katrina Power, like many Aboriginal people, is feeling sad because of the result of the referendum. However you voted, you can surely find it in your heart to understand that many Aboriginal people will feel sorrow about that result and, having been asked to come and do a Welcome to Country, might choose to express some of that sorrow to the audience, which is exactly what she did. She did refer to being a republican. I'm not going to ask for a show of hands, but there would be a few people in this audience—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: —who would also be republicans. It is a view that Australians are allowed to hold. But what she did in welcoming us to country—and she did it sincerely to welcome us—was take the opportunity to share how she felt about a moment in Australian history.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members to my left and right!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: There are a number of exchanges which are continuing in breach of the standing orders.

The Hon. S.C. Mullighan interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Treasurer is called to order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Chaffey!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: The implication of the question and in part in the tone in the article in The Advertiser was that there ought to have been some sort of public condemnation of a person who was experiencing sorrow and pain. I am not going to do that. I am going to understand that if a person wants to share how they feel about a moment in history where they feel that their community has been repudiated, they are entitled to express that because we are in Australia and Australia allows people to hold views and share their views.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The exchanges between the member for Chaffey and members to my right will cease. Member for Chaffey, your colleague is seeking to contribute to question time. The member for Hammond.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

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