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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-04-06 Daily Xml
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PARLIAMENTARY INTERNET FILTER

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (14:26): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council and Minister for Gambling a question about internet censorship in Parliament House.

Leave granted.

The Hon. P. Holloway interjecting:

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: Did you want a go, Paul? Feeling a bit left out, are you? The Hospital Research Foundation (formerly known as The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Research Foundation) was established in 1965. Since then, the foundation has donated nearly $25 million for research at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the Basil Hetzel Institute, allowing researchers to conduct their valuable work in areas such as stroke, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, asthma, renal disease and other serious conditions.

The foundation also supports medical research through major program grants, research grants, the purchase of laboratory equipment, and financial assistance and scholarships to postgraduate and honours students. One of the principal ways the foundation has raised money has been through its successful home and lifestyle lottery, which is comprehensively reviewed by the Office of the Liquor and Gambling Commissioner before being approved.

Recently, the website publicised to support this worthy cause (www.homelottery.com.au) was blocked by the Parliament House internet server (which is actually administered by a government department, not the Joint Parliamentary Service Committee) because it was classified as gambling. My questions are:

1. Does the minister classify support for this charity in this manner as gambling?

2. Does the minister support censorship of this charity by government internet networks?

3. Is the minister aware that, whilst members of parliament cannot support this worthy South Australian charity, they can still access the home lotteries currently being run by the Endeavour Foundation and the RSL Art Union in Queensland?

4. Will the minister now seek an audit of the parliamentary internet filter and that of other South Australian government departments, and either make it a level playing field or put an end to this nanny state nonsense?

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN (Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for Gambling) (14:28): Obviously, following the story in The Advertiser, we are seeing a bit of auditioning going on for the shadow ministry, and it is no wonder that the Hon. Mr Ridgway and the Hon. Ms Lensink are comfortable to let the people on the backbench take questions when this is the best they can come up with: asking me questions that have nothing to do with my ministerial responsibilities at all. I am not responsible for the parliamentary internet system.

While, of course, the consolidated revenue funds the activities of the parliament, including the Parliamentary Network Support Group, I am not sure of what governance arrangements are in place. I do believe the Parliamentary Network Support Group is not directly controlled by the same people who control the rest of the government's IT infrastructure, as far as I am aware, because I know there have been issues and complaints about that in the past from some people saying that one or the other is superior or not.

In any event, it is not a matter for me and not a question for which I have any responsibility. I remind honourable members, since they seem to be misunderstanding a few basic principles of the Westminster system, that the purpose of question time is to hold ministers to account for their ministerial responsibilities. As Minister for Gambling, I have no responsibility for the parliamentary internet system, and I do not believe that has or ever would come within my ministerial responsibilities as Minister for Gambling.

If the honourable member wishes to buy tickets, I would strongly encourage him to buy tickets in the lottery. If he is not able to access it from his internet site, he can try at home or he can ring up. I am sure they would be happy to sell tickets to him, whatever way they do that. I have no responsibility for the parliamentary internet. I have found it frustrating in the past when certain sites have been blocked. It is not something for which I have any responsibility, nor ever will. It just shows what an extraordinarily incompetent opposition we have. The only reason—

The Hon. T.J. Stephens interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. T.J. Stephens interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN: I ask the honourable member to withdraw that remark.

The PRESIDENT: The honourable member should withdraw that remark. I think the honourable member knows which remark.

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: I withdraw.

The PRESIDENT: Thank you. The Hon. Mr Finnigan.

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN: Thank you, Mr President. Honourable members opposite do not even know what—

The Hon. R.I. Lucas interjecting:

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN: Sorry?

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: I wasn't talking to you.

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN: Honourable members opposite do not even know what ministerial responsibilities I or any other member have. They are asking about something for which—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN: —I have no responsibility. Whether or not parliamentary members are able to access particular sites is not something for which I have any responsibility. In fact, I would have thought that the appropriate people to take up matters relating to the use of parliamentary entitlements or access to facilities would be you, Mr President, or the Speaker.

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