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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-10-30 Daily Xml
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LABOR PARTY SENATE TICKET

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (14:58): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Leader of Government Business in the Legislative Council a question regarding the South Australian Labor Senate's ticket for the forthcoming Senate legislation.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE: The federal member for Grayndler and Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, the Hon. Anthony Albanese MHR, has been quoted as describing his own party as 'grubby and self-indulgent' after it gave No.1 billing on its Senate ticket for the next South Australian Senate election to Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and Urban Water, Senator the Hon. Don Farrell, and not to the Minister for Finance and Deregulation, the Hon. Penny Wong.

I note that a state minister tweeted in the last 24 hours about his vote for Senator Farrell, 'Top Labor's Senate ticket' and 'continue his great work for South Australia & Labor', a vote I understand Senator Farrell won 112-83. Minister Albanese said, and I quote:

Penny Wong is obviously our most talented senator from South Australia. Full stop. End of story. Full stop.

Yet Senator Wong had issued a statement saying she was 'honoured to have been endorsed in a winnable position on the South Australian Labor Senate ticket,' and recognised the democratic decision of the party. I note that research suggests that the Australian Labor Party has won two Senate seats in every Senate election since federation. My questions to the minister are:

1. Does the minister support federal minister Albanese's view that the federal Labor Party was wrong in not preselecting minister and Senator Wong as number one on the Senate ticket?

2. Alternatively, does the minister believe Parliamentary Secretary and Senator Farrell deserves recognition for his hard work behind the scenes securing re-election of the Gillard government and the change of premier in South Australia?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the Status of Women) (15:00): I thank the member for his question. Quite simply, these are internal matters for the party which are based on democratic principles and are dealt with by the party. While I am on my feet I table a—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: While I am on my feet, I table—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Hang on a sec.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: You have a deputy who doesn't support your leader, for God's sake. A deputy that doesn't support their own leader; what a disgrace! Absolute disgrace.

The PRESIDENT: Minister.

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