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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-11-13 Daily Xml
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Pastoral Industry Management

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (14:48): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Environment, Climate Change, Sustainability and a range of other portfolios questions regarding the interests of pastoralists and remote region residents.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE: Further to previous questions that I have asked the minister, but where I have not had answers to my questions, and notwithstanding the fact that this morning the Premier said:

Because we have massive challenges in front of us, Leon, and the sort of cynicism and delay and obstruction that you've just heard from Mr Brokenshire, is the very thing that we've got to get away from. People in South Australia need to understand that we're staring down the barrel at some massive challenges.

My understanding is that pastoralists are staring down the barrel at massive challenges and, not being cynical but in representing those people, I have reasons to ask these questions when the government is vague, at the least, on what the intent is for assisting these people. We have so far not had a plan for the future of the Pastoral Board or its replacement, and the management of the station country in South Australia. My questions to the minister are:

1. Does the minister now have a plan (if he is intent on getting rid of the Pastoral Board) as to how the issues—very broad around that of pastoral management, stocking numbers, lease extensions or reinvigorations, etc.—will occur?

2. Does the minister expect the Legislative Council to rubberstamp the abolition of the Pastoral Board if, indeed, the government does not have a firm plan in place for the future management of the pastoral industry?

3. Does the minister acknowledge that the pastoral industry is under pressure and needs an empathetic ear from the government when it comes to assisting them to continue their businesses in the Far North?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:50): I thank the honourable member for his most important questions. It is a shame that the honourable member comes into this place and makes up all sorts of allegations and propositions, and makes allegations about me not answering questions, strangely enough, when, of course, I do. The problem is he never listens. After I get through answering his question he stands up and asks it again because he was on his phone or he was talking to the person next to him, because he just does not care.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Hon. Mr Ridgway, do not contribute to that disorder, please.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I will come to some of the nonsense that the Hon. Mr Brokenshire spouts, and gets away with from time to time, because he has been caught out this time and I want to make it pretty clear to the council how that has been the case. However, in terms of the Pastoral Board, as I have said in this place before, the government has concluded its initial review of various state-supported boards and committees. The review was implemented in order to find new and innovative ways to ensure that advice to government on policy issues flows more directly from citizens and businesses alike. It was also aimed at improving the community's access to government decision-makers and reducing red tape.

It has become clear that a more effective approach must be found to support the effective engagement of the pastoral community on issues associated with the administration of the Pastoral Land Management and Conservation Act. The member for Stuart in the other place has brought pastoralists in a delegation to see me from time to time—and I think I have also mentioned that in this place previously—and underlined those very same points.

What on earth would the Hon. Mr Brokenshire have us do? Would he have us coming in here with a predetermined plan, with no consultation with the affected people, and flop it out on the table and say, 'There you go, that's what you're getting', or would he rather us actually acknowledge the problems that are brought to us and say, 'We'll go off and engage with the affected pastoralists and come up with a better way forward'? Surely that would be the thing that he would be thrusting on us but, instead, he comes in here with these ridiculous allegations.

The Hon. G.E. Gago interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: He does; he makes up different things depending on who he is talking to at the time. Depending on who he is talking to he gives a different view, and then he comes onto radio and says something completely different. The Pastoral Land Management and Conservation Act 1989 will continue to be the guiding legislation that supports the management of our pastoral lands, and the functions and duties of the Pastoral Board will continue to be performed.

However, let us go to the outrageous claims that the honourable member has been making on radio. He mentioned the radio interview with Leon Byner that the Premier did and talked about the Hon. Mr Brokenshire's unnecessary obstruction and negativity in this place, and he was making comments about the proroguing of parliament. He said, 'Oh, it's never happened before. I'm sure Mike Rann never did it.' That is what he was saying. Well, I have a list here of prorogues of parliament. I will not bore the chamber with every prorogue—although I could—but let us go back to the first parliament—

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE: Point of order, sir. Whilst I find this of interest and would love a debate on proroguing, my point of order is relevance. I have asked a question three times on three days in this council and he has no answer.

The PRESIDENT: The honourable minister.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Mr President, in his very own preamble he talked about this radio interview that the Premier did, and he also did this morning. However, he does not like it when it comes home to bite him.

Have a look at the first parliament. The first session opened 22 April 1857 and was prorogued 27 January 1858. It was prorogued again on 24 December 1858, before finally being prorogued for the election, one presumes. I could go through the whole list of parliaments and the prorogues that have happened.

We can go to the 21st session, opened 19 March 1912, prorogued on 27 March 1912. That was a very short period in terms of parliamentary activity. It was prorogued again on 19 December 1912, prorogued again on 24 December 1913, before being finally prorogued for the state election, one presumes. We can go through many, many sessions of parliament.

I do not know—I have not checked—whether there actually is a session of parliament that has not been prorogued at least once or twice. Let's have a look at 1968, the 39th parliament. That was prorogued on 2 May. It was opened on 16 April 1968, prorogued on 2 May 1968, prorogued again on 13 March 1969, prorogued again on 5 February 1970 before finally being dissolved for a May election in 1970.

Let's go to the 44th parliament, opened in 1979. I do not believe that we were in charge at that time, Mr President. I am not sure whether the Hon. Mr Brokenshire was a minister in that government; it might be too soon. It was prorogued on 10 July 1980, again on 25 June 1981, prorogued again on 1 July 1982, before being prorogued on 14 October.

Mr President, I am sensitive about members of this place going out telling blatant untruths to the community, standing up in here and misleading parliament, when the evidence shows otherwise. Let's have a look at the 48th parliament. It was opened on 10 February 1994. The Hon. Mr Brokenshire might have been a minister in that parliament. That was opened on 10 February 1994, prorogued on 16 June 1994, prorogued again on 17 August 1995, prorogued again on 22 August 1996, prorogued again on 21 August 1997, before being finally prorogued again for the state election.

I think the Hon. Mr Brokenshire said on the radio, 'The Hon. Mike Rann, when he was Premier, never did this.' Well, let's have a look at the 49th parliament. It was opened on 2 December 1997; it was prorogued on 17 September 1998, 26 August 1999 and 10 August 2000, before being prorogued for the state election. Again, the 50th parliament opened on 5 March 2002—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. M.C. PARNELL: Point of order.

The PRESIDENT: Point of order.

The Hon. M.C. PARNELL: The Hon. Kelly Vincent has a point of order.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Ms Vincent.

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT: This answer is no longer relevant to the original question. Would the minister please prorogue his answer and get on with his job?

Members interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I said 'or point of order,' Hon. Mr Dawkins. Open your ears.

The PRESIDENT: Order! The honourable minister, sit down please.

An honourable member interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: No, no point of order. Sit down. This is becoming a joke.

The Hon. T.J. Stephens interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Stephens, just calm down a bit, will you? I know you are all excited about tonight's dinner, I understand that, but it is totally unacceptable to have the Hon. Mr Evans here and you behaving as badly as you are.

Honourable members: He's gone.

The PRESIDENT: He's gone. He's gone in horror. Let's show a bit of maturity. Minister, could you please hurry up with your answer? We want to get on with question time.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Yes, Mr President. I am up to the 50th parliament, which members will be very grateful for. It was opened on 5 March 2002; that was a great parliament—

An honourable member: And that's when Mike Rann became the premier.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Yes, indeed—and prorogued on 5 March 2002—

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Point of order, Mr President.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: —and prorogued again on 31 July—

The PRESIDENT: Point of order, the honourable minister.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: If the mere fact that Mr Brokenshire mentioned the two issues in one interview makes this answer relevant to his question, then any question in the same edition of The Advertiser is relevant. I urge you to rule that this answer is irrelevant.

The PRESIDENT: I think we've all got the point. Minister, I would like you to get on with the answer, please.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I come to the 50th parliament—and the Hon. Mr Brokenshire mentioned in his interview today—it was opened on 5 March 2002—

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Point of order.

The PRESIDENT: Point of order.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: I ask you to rule on my point of order whether the minister's answer is relevant to the question.

The PRESIDENT: The minister can answer the question any way he wants. The reality is that I would like the minister to move on, because we have not had many questions. Please get on with your answer, minister.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Mr President, I would have been finished five minutes ago had the opposition let me. The 50th Parliament, opened on 5 March 2002, was prorogued on 31 July 2003, prorogued on 12 August 2004, prorogued again on 8 December 2005 and then a couple of times more before being prorogued for the state election. So, that just puts a lie to the situation the Hon. Mr Brokenshire is advocating in this place, and in the other place. Why should we listen to anything he has to say?

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