Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-05-21 Daily Xml

Contents

Legislative Council President

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:02): I seek leave to make an explanation before asking the Leader of the Government a question on the subject of the Hon. Mr Gazzola's explosive speech to parliament yesterday afternoon.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: As members will be aware and, indeed, as I am sure you will be aware, Mr President, the Hon. Mr Gazzola raised a number of issues in his contribution yesterday. The first and most serious related to a series of allegations made over a period of time in this chamber in relation to your actions, Mr President, as a union official; allegations made by the Hon. Mr Ridgway and, in part, made earlier by the Hon. Angus Redford back in July 1995.

Secondly, the Hon. Mr Gazzola summarised his particular view of your capacity in the following words, that is, that you, Mr President, were a 'parasite and an embarrassment to the labour movement'. My question to the Leader of the Government is: does the minister believe that the Hon. Mr Wortley was the best qualified member of the Labor Party in the Legislative Council to hold the office of the President of the Legislative Council?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (15:03): We see yet again mudraking going on in this place, we see this appalling conduct which the Hon. Mr Robert Lucas is renowned for. He is renowned for mudraking and political pointscoring. He has a reputation for that low life sort of behaviour. I remind honourable members that I am not, in fact, the minister for the behaviour of other members of this parliament. Each member in this place is responsible for their own behaviour. Each and every one of us in this place is elected by the people of South Australia, and they expect us to behave accordingly. I call upon the Hon. Rob Lucas to behave himself accordingly as well.