House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-11-27 Daily Xml

Contents

Eyre Peninsula Desalination Plant

Mr TELFER (Flinders) (15:02): My question is to the Premier. Does the Premier support the right of Indigenous communities to veto major government projects? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr TELFER: In 2022, the Premier was very forthright in his view that the Barngarla people should have the right of veto over a federal government project in their area.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order, sir: my understanding is that the shadow minister has given an explanation to the house, by leave of the house, saying that the Premier said by fact that the Premier believes that there should be a right of veto on all federal government projects in South Australia. I would ask him to substantiate that to the house right now.

The SPEAKER: The member for Flinders.

Mr TELFER: I am afraid the Leader of the Government—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my left and members on my right will be quiet while I try to listen to the member for Flinders.

Mr TELFER: I can repeat it for the Manager of Government Business. He obviously misheard the explanation. I can ask the question again and the explanation.

The SPEAKER: If you wouldn't mind.

Mr TELFER: The question was: does the Premier support the right of Indigenous communities to veto major government projects? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

The SPEAKER: Leave has been granted.

Mr TELFER: In 2022, the Premier was very forthright in his view that the Barngarla people should have the right of veto over a federal government project in their area.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (15:04): I thank the member for Flinders for his question. He is right. In respect of the proposed nuclear waste site in Kimba, I expressed as the leader of the parliamentary Labor Party both in the lead-up to 2022 and I suspect post then as well, that this party under my leadership would continue the policy that we had under Premier Weatherill's leadership, that we had the view that the proposed nuclear waste dump outside Kimba should enjoy the support of Indigenous communities before it went ahead.