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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-09-16 Daily Xml
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Algal Bloom

S.E. ANDREWS (Gibson) (14:47): My question is to the Treasurer. Can the Treasurer outline the importance of ensuring accurate information about the algal bloom is provided to affected communities and any risks posed by inaccurate information that can damage local businesses, tourism operators and jobs?

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Treasurer, Minister for Defence and Space Industries, Minister for Police) (14:48): It is very concerning that we have got a member of parliament who continues to propagate these conspiracy theories around the source of the harmful algal bloom. Even more troublingly, of course, we have got the leader of the opposition backing that member of parliament in as a member of his own team, backing him in as a candidate at the coming election for the seat of Waite. This is what the Leader of the Opposition has attached himself to, somebody who will peddle conspiracy theories.

The damage is not just to the Leader of the Opposition and his credibility and his reputation as a fledgling political leader, the damage, of course, is far broader. The damage is far broader because, as members would know, particularly across the aisle, those members who represent parts of regional South Australia, including the coastlines, these statements can have a significant bearing on the confidence of South Australians and other people outside of South Australia to visit our tourism areas across regional South Australia.

The regional tourism economy is worth more than $4 billion a year to the state—four thousand million dollars—a huge injection of cash into regional economies each and every year. We've got a member of the Leader of the Opposition's team out peddling conspiracy theories to sow fear and worry in the community of South Australia and in the minds of those people who would otherwise visit South Australia to take a holiday across coastal locations. It's not just those tourism operators; it's also the primary producers, those involved in aquaculture and fisheries that the Deputy Premier was just talking about as well. These statements have a real impact.

When we've got the Leader of the Opposition, who refuses to get his watchdog under control, who refuses to discipline an errant member of parliament for knowingly putting incorrect information out to the community, it seems like the watchdog has left a little deposit on the median strip that is the South Australian Liberal Party. He is out of control.

We've got a Leader of the Opposition who will not call him to heel, who will not make sure that, like a person in position of authority and responsibility, one of the 69 members of parliament in this state, he is putting accurate and considered information out into the community. But it is even worse than that—making up references, submitting information to a select committee of parliament which is knowingly false, fake URLs—like someone trying to pedal their way through the first semester of university, not having gone to anything. It's extraordinary.

This is the reputation of the Leader of the Opposition now at stake. This is what he has chained himself to. This is the standard of a future Liberal government of South Australia led by the Leader of the Opposition. This is the standard he sets for leadership in this state, and it is appalling. If the leader doesn't act, it's not just a reflection on Frank Pangallo; it's a reflection on himself and his leadership, which is not only fledgling but is fraught. He is under pressure, and if he doesn't take this opportunity to act, that pressure will continue to build. The Leader of the Opposition has to act to protect those coastal tourism operators, to protect those fishers, to make sure that we do not see further economic impacts across South Australia.

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