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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-07-15 Daily Xml
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Question Time

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL REFORM

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:26): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Leader of the Government a question about Legislative Council reform.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: When the Premier announced in 2005 his plan to abolish the upper house, he promised four years of debate before putting several questions to a referendum, and in his media release he says:

It will be up to the people of South Australia. They will have four years to debate the issue to form a view before the 2010 referendum.

With just 249 days until the next election, it leaves little time for community debate. Why has the Premier broken his promise, and why are we not getting the four years the Premier promised in 2005?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (14:27): Is the Leader of the Opposition suggesting that we have not been having a debate on the future of the Legislative Council? We certainly have been having it here for the past four years.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: We now have the specifics of the reform program. It is still over eight months before the election and the legislation—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: Is the honourable member really saying that we need more than six weeks of parliamentary sitting to consider a fairly simple, straightforward concept? There are three propositions: do we reduce the numbers from 22 to 16; do we have an all-out system with four-year terms rather than eight years; and do we have double dissolution provisions like they have in the Senate and the House of Representatives in Canberra? They are three fairly straight-forward positions and I am sure the voters of South Australia will understand them fairly quickly.

The issue is whether, as announced in the Attorney-General's statement that I just read out, it is up to members of this place as to whether they wish for that to proceed. We have been having a debate on the future of the Legislative Council for many years. That debate has been ongoing for many years. As was said in the statement, as a result of the debate we have been having the government has changed the proposal to the reforms we have put forward.

The Hon. J.M.A. Lensink interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: It is not focus groups. I referred to members who attended the constitutional convention held in this place some years ago. The government has consulted widely and has listened to the public debate on the future of the Legislative Council, and that is why it has come up with these proposals. It is now up to both houses of the parliament as to whether or not we proceed with these recommendations.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Ms Lensink has the call.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Leader of the Opposition will have some respect for his shadow.

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