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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-02-10 Daily Xml
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Governor's Speech

At 14:37, His Excellency the Governor, having been announced by Black Rod, was received by the President at the bar of the council chamber and conducted by him to the chair. The Speaker and members of the House of Assembly having entered the chamber in obedience to his summons, His Excellency read his opening speech as follows:

Honourable members of the Legislative Council and members of the House of Assembly, I have called you together for the dispatch of business. I thank Uncle Lewis O'Brien, an Elder of the Kaurna people, for his gracious welcome to country.

It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the passing of four former members since the opening of the 53rd parliament. The Hon. Donald Hubert Louis Banfield passed away in June 2014. Mr Banfield served as a member of the Legislative Council from 1965 to 1979 and as a minister of the Crown from 1973 to 1979. In 1983, he was appointed an officer of the Order of Australia for parliamentary service and for service to the community.

In August 2014, the Hon. Cecil Creed on passed away. Mr Creed on was a member of the Legislative Council from 1973 to 1985. During his time as a member, Mr Creed on was a member and acting chairperson of the Joint Committee on Subordinate Legislation and a member of the Public Works Committee.

In October 2014, the Hon. Dr Bob Such passed away. Dr Such was a former minister and Speaker of the South Australian House of Assembly and served as the member for Fisher from 1989 until his death. He was joint father of the house from 2012 and was a dear friend and colleague to so many of those who sit in this house today.

Mrs Heather Southcott AM passed away in November 2014. Mrs Southcott was a former member of the House of Assembly, and was the first woman to lead a political party in Australia.

She was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1991. In 2007, she was honoured by UNESCO for her services to the community, in particular as Chairperson of the United Nations Association of Australia.

In this year, in which we will focus on the contribution that our veterans have made to our nation, we also note with great sadness the recent passing of the Hon. Arthur Mornington Whyte AM.

Mr Whyte served in the Second World War and fought in the Siege of Tobruk. He served as a member of the Legislative Council from 1966 to 1985, including as President from 1978 to 1985. He was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1987 for service to the Parliament of South Australia.

We acknowledge the contributions made to our state by these great South Australians and we offer our sincere condolences to their families and friends.

Honourable members, South Australia was, from its conception, an ideal.

It was an ideal that emphasised openness and harmony.

South Australia was designed to be a society which finely balanced the protection of property rights with democratic rights.

Our history demonstrates that it is possible to achieve both.

We must continually strive to ensure that our economic prosperity and our enviable lifestyle progress together.

Our economy is in a state of rapid transition, as traditional industries decline.

But South Australians have an extraordinary capacity to overcome adversity. We will emerge from this transition stronger and more prosperous.

If there was any doubt about our capacity to rise to a challenge, then it should have been removed in January when we saw South Australians work together in the face of catastrophic bushfires.

During this time, I had the opportunity to visit the affected areas, the incident control centre, and the Volunteering SA & NT call centre which South Australians were calling to offer assistance.

Through these experiences, I was deeply moved and humbled by the spirit of cooperation and community of my fellow South Australians.

It was also evident during this period that Australians can overcome political differences when it is necessary to do so.

South Australia appreciates the support that it received from the commonwealth government and other state governments.

My government also acknowledges and thanks the state opposition for its contribution to the collective effort to respond to this emergency.

We are now working with local governments and their affected communities as they rebuild.

And we will apply that same determination and sense of common purpose to the challenges that confront our economy.

My government understands the angst and uncertainty felt by workers at Holden, by those who have recently lost their jobs at Arrium, and by workers in our defence industry who face an uncertain future.

They need both our support and new opportunities to contribute.

Last year, the government released its 10 economic priorities, which were designed to help South Australia become the place where people and business thrive.

It is time to open doors to new opportunities for our priority sectors such as resources, energy and renewable assets.

For decades we have managed our rich mineral, oil and gas assets in a way that has provided great benefit to our state.

We have led the nation in the search for iron ore, and our state copper reserves have been exported to the world.

South Australia is recognised throughout the world as having a regulatory regime that is considered the world's best practice in protecting the environment, while also promoting economic development.

We are home to the world's largest uranium mine.

After more than 25 years of uranium production, it is now time to engage in a mature, robust and informed debate on the future role of the nuclear industry.

South Australian producers are helping shape a sustainable low-carbon future by supplying uranium to both developing and developed nations.

My government will establish a royal commission into the nuclear industry to investigate what role South Australia can and should play in the nuclear fuel cycle.

A royal commission is a trusted and reliable means to establish the facts with which the people of South Australia can engage in this important debate.

The unique powers of a royal commission will be employed to investigate an opportunity which has the potential to make a massive contribution to the South Australian economy.

The royal commission will be the first of its kind in Australia and will explore the merit of South Australia's involvement in the mining, enrichment, energy and storage phases of the nuclear fuel cycle.

But if nuclear energy is to be part of humanity's response to climate change, then renewable energy will be another crucial element.

Our climate is changing, and we need to respond.

Last year in South Australia was the second warmest year on record. Nationally, seven of Australia's 10 warmest years on record have been experienced since 2002.

My government established an ambitious target for 50 per cent of our electricity to be generated from renewable sources by 2025.

This commitment was made because it is both good for our environment and the right thing to do for our economy.

South Australia has shown that transitioning to a low carbon economy can attract investment, drive innovation and create jobs.

Green Industries SA, an agency whose task it will be to further encourage and support sustainable industries, will be established this year, to help attract investment and export our expertise around the world.

Honourable members, 'Adelaide, the heart of the vibrant state' was another of the 10 economic priorities which was identified by my government last year.

Our capital city has a critical role to play in South Australia's economic performance.

Investors and business leaders, and perhaps most importantly young people deciding where best to pursue their dreams, intuitively judge a state by the energy, vitality and values expressed by its capital city.

My government has already invested significantly in the transformation of Adelaide. It has also taken on established interests to open up the city. This has enabled small venues to grow and a thriving live music scene to emerge.

Subsequent generations will look back on this era and think of it as the time when Adelaide came alive.

We must seize this moment to make Adelaide more attractive to businesses looking to lower their carbon footprint, and to residents, students and tourists attracted to festivals, sporting events and live music.

My government will increase its investment in events, to further expand the program of activities that has energised our city.

In 2015, the government will bring the Adelaide Fashion Festival into the city centre, with a satellite event to remain on Norwood's Parade. We want to create a dramatic event that will capture the world's imagination.

And it will pursue other events of international significance that create greater awareness of a state that has opened its mind and heart to the world.

Our capital city should also embody the state's commitment to achieving a sustainable future for our children.

My government will establish a carbon neutral 'Adelaide Green Zone' to make it the world's first carbon-neutral city.

Within a decade, electric and hybrid vehicles will be the preferred form of transport within Adelaide's central business district.

Access to our city will be made easy by improvements made to our cycling infrastructure, as well as measures to make our capital more attractive to pedestrians.

We need to encourage the embrace of new industries and technologies that will change the way in which we move around our vibrant city and safe communities. Legislation must reflect and facilitate these changes.

Our Motor Vehicles Act was written when the FB model Holden was being released to the market in 1959, and our Road Traffic Act two years later.

My government will reform both pieces of legislation, and also legislate for driverless vehicles which will revolutionise transportation in South Australia.

Honourable members, a vibrant city relies heavily on the quality of the state's planning system.

Many South Australians lack confidence in the planning process, given its significant vested interests. To ensure ongoing growth in our vibrant city, we need a more open planning system.

My government will enshrine an urban growth boundary for Adelaide in legislation, which will also protect our prime agricultural land. Debates about future growth will occur with full transparency as demanded by the community.

The government's response to the recommendations of the Expert Panel on Planning Reform will soon be released.

To deliver true and complete integration of land transport and planning, new legislation to replace the Development Act 1993 will be introduced later this year.

It will be designed to encourage an urban form which creates affordable living in our neighbourhoods, well supported by public transport and with opportunities to walk and cycle around our beautiful city.

But if our physical environment influences a person's health and wellbeing, everyone should be included in this process of improvement and renewal.

Within 15 years, my government will renew all Housing Trust stock that predates 1968. More than 4,500 old homes located within 10 kilometres of the city will be renewed by 2020.

Healthy, inclusive communities will mean more South Australians will be ready to grasp the great opportunities in our midst.

Honourable members, we live in a moment where our talents and advantages align closely to the demands of the increasingly prosperous nations in our region, from East Asia to India.

The nations of our region want their people to be healthier. South Australia has a role to play to ensure that their demand for superior health services, including aged care, is met.

The nations of our region want their people to be better educated, and see international education as an important aspect of learning in the globalised world. South Australia, with its excellent academic institutions, will strive to meet this demand.

More people in our region want to experience the world. My government will embark on an aggressive campaign to market our state as a unique and attractive destination for tourists.

The growing prosperity achieved across Asia has also helped more people realise a better quality of life. Demand for South Australia's premium food and wine products will increase in our region.

But to maximise the benefit of this demand, my government will do more to promote our international engagements and connections.

In the coming weeks, the government will release its South Australia-South-East Asia Engagement Strategy.

As a South Australian who was born and raised in Vietnam, Asia—and in particular South-East Asia—remains close to my heart.

Given that I have come to be passionate about South Australia and what it offers, I am keen to offer this perspective in promoting this wonderful state to South-East Asia and beyond.

I look forward to assisting in the development of the state's relationship with this dynamic region, and other important international relationships that offer great human and economic opportunities.

But South Australia will not grasp the opportunities of the future without attracting significant foreign direct investment into South Australia.

South Australia needs investment in new industries and businesses to create jobs for young people entering the labour market for the first time, and for existing workers in search of a new career.

From the beginning, South Australia was designed to make our state an attractive place to both investors and workers. We need to renew our historic commitment to investment attraction.

My government will therefore establish a new body that is solely focused on investment attraction.

Its principal objective will be the creation of new jobs. This investment attraction body will have a strong commitment from across government.

It will draw on the experiences of the Singapore and Irish investment attraction agencies, which are considered to be two of the best in the world.

My government understands that it needs to insist upon cultural change within our Public Service if it is to attract the volume of investment needed to create new jobs.

We need a Public Service which will proactively pursue our investment attraction goals.

Honourable members, South Australian businesses need scale and investment to grow, but they also need to operate in an environment that encourages enterprise.

Taxation is the means by which we provide services that create opportunity and confront inequality, but it needs to be stable, efficient and sustainable.

Without sufficient revenue we will not be able to invest in the education of our young people and the infrastructure that supports our economy.

But South Australia also needs a taxation system that both attracts investment to create new opportunities and encourages business owners to employ more South Australians.

The success of our tax system should therefore be measured by the jobs and growth created in our economy and the quality of services we provide to the community.

My government will not be able to achieve this goal to make South Australia the place where people and business thrive unless this balance is achieved.

The government is open to radical reform to our taxation system.

Nothing is out of bounds, be it taxes, levies or concessions.

But reforms can be easily dismantled if they are not the product of robust and informed discussions with the community.

My government will therefore release a discussion paper on options to reform our state taxation system.

The discussion paper is the beginning of the government's conversation with the people of South Australia on the issues of taxation reform.

It will inform a more mature debate in the community so that we can quickly act on the opportunity for change.

My government is also investigating the appropriateness of remaining in the Australian Central Time zone.

South Australia's exceptional half-hour time difference to the convention of whole-hour time zones has been consistently raised as an impediment to South Australian companies with significant interstate and overseas interests.

South Australia's standard time zone has not changed since May 1899 but the government believes that this change could bring significant benefits to South Australia.

This contentious issue requires a significant debate within the community.

Be it the nuclear industry, taxation reform or time zone changes, my government remains committed to involving the people of South Australia about the decisions that affect their lives.

The nature of this exchange with the community is integral to the character of South Australia.

From the beginning, South Australia was designed to encourage freedom of expression and to broader principles of social and political debate.

It is important that we remain true to this tradition. Lasting change is only possible if people engage in our democracy.

There is a growing sense—not just in South Australia, but around the world—that politicians are not doing enough to protect the personal or economic security of the people they are elected to represent.

There is a sense that our democracy has become captive to large, powerful interests.

My government will introduce new measures to improve the quality and integrity of our system of government.

Donations should be made to support candidates who share a similar outlook and objective—they should not buy political influence.

Corporate campaign contributions cannot be permitted to inappropriately influence our public policy.

The government has already started this process of reform.

The Electoral (Funding, Expenditure and Disclosure) Amendment Act 2013 will come into operation on 1 July this year.

This will ensure greater transparency about who is donating to political parties, and to individual members of parliament, and when such donations are being made.

From 1 July, less money should be spent on election campaigns. Parties and candidates will still be able to communicate their policies to the electorate—but the need for large donations will be reduced.

This will make for a more even playing field.

But there are many ways in which influence is peddled, even in a strong democracy such as ours.

My government will legislate to ensure that lobbyists do not threaten the integrity of our political process.

These measures will assist this parliament make decisions in the interest of all South Australians, in equal measure, without fear or favour.

My government will also legislate for stricter post-service restrictions on lobbying activities by former members of parliament.

This legislation will prohibit paid lobbying work for varying periods of time dependent upon on each member of parliament's length and nature of service.

But if my government legislates to guarantee the independence of our parliament, it must also do more to ensure that it attracts the best and brightest hearts and minds committed to public service.

There is need to review the remuneration of members of parliament.

Recompense should reflect the high demands and great responsibilities of office but it should also be transparent and independently determined.

The Remuneration Tribunal will be asked to conduct a review of parliamentary remuneration.

My government will also move to change the way in which our parliamentary system operates.

It will propose to reform the system of voting to eliminate the antidemocratic practice of preference harvesting.

My government will also introduce deadlock reform, which will involve new options to resolve disputes between both houses.

Our ingenuity and inventiveness have contributed to many reforms throughout the state's history, and more opportunities will be created to involve people in government decision-making.

The government will explore new mechanisms by which everyday people can, through the use of information and communication technology, become involved in the debates of the parliament.

And we will further develop other initiatives, such as the citizens' jury, to ensure that South Australian voices are heard.

My government has established citizens' juries so that South Australians can be assured that a group of their peers are deeply involved in the decisions we make.

Honourable members, engagement in any modern democracy also depends on equal access to services indispensable to full participation in society.

And full participation in society requires equal access to institutions that guarantee universal education, health and justice.

In 2015, my government will make further progress towards this ideal.

The strength and vitality of a democracy is reflected in the quality of our education institutions.

Universities were originally designed to encourage a spirit of inquiry, but we now also ask our universities to help us grow the knowledge economy.

The government will continue to encourage our institutions to collaborate with businesses to commercialise the excellent research that is conducted in our state.

The government will also work with our training institutions to focus our significant investment in training on growing sectors of our economy.

It will also reform the state's public education system.

My government will renew the Department for Education and Child Development and its services.

We demand a commitment to excellence in our Public Service, and there is no more important public service than the provision of high quality education.

Our schools should embody our commitment to give every child every chance to realise their dreams in life.

Schools must be, first and foremost, focused on students and their families.

From the moment they walk through the school gates, every South Australian child should be guaranteed the attention they need to reach their full potential. This is especially important for children with disabilities.

To better support our schools, the staff the government employs to provide this support will be relocated from central office to work more closely with school leaders at the local level.

Every education system relies on the quality of its teachers.

I was educated in a society heavily influenced by Confucian thought, which traditionally held its teachers in the highest esteem, and considered education to be one of the highest priorities for the development of young people.

South Australia benefits from a professional and well-trained workforce. Through its quality education policy, the government wants to develop the best-trained workforce in Australia.

From 2020, we will require all new teachers to hold a master's-level qualification.

And we will give our school principals the authority to enforce the highest professional standards in our classrooms.

My government will continue to renew education infrastructure because South Australian schools today offer greater curriculum choices than when many of them were built decades ago.

Recently, we have seen six new schools established through the amalgamation of over 20 school communities.

These modern facilities have been extremely popular with parents and students.

My government recognises this momentum must continue and will consult with school communities to explore opportunities to further amalgamate facilities.

My government believes that a child's health, learning and mental wellbeing are shaped in early childhood.

This year is the 10th anniversary of the inquiry into early childhood, named 'The virtual village: raising a child in the new millennium', which sets the state's direction in early childhood.

My government will continue to invest in early childhood development because it believes that this is the single most important way we can alleviate poverty and disadvantage, particularly for Aboriginal people.

In 2015, my government will work to ensure that every South Australian can access quality health services.

My government has continued to invest in quality health care for South Australians. Every metropolitan hospital and all major country hospitals have recently been rebuilt.

It is now building the new Royal Adelaide Hospital, which will be Australia's most advanced public hospital and be part of the Southern Hemisphere's largest health and biomedical precinct.

Our Transforming Health project will ensure that all South Australians can get the highest quality of care the first time and every time they enter the health system.

To ensure that every South Australian can access high quality health services, however, my government will need to restructure existing services.

South Australia has an ageing population. It is therefore imperative to make best use of the latest medical technologies and work closely with health professionals and the community.

As a community, we should also reconsider our attitude to this growing demographic.

My government believes that South Australia can be known as the place where you age but you do not grow old—a place where people in their 70s, 80s and 90s maintain meaningful roles working, caring, and volunteering.

This will only be possible if our businesses seize the opportunity to develop assistive technologies, medical devices, smarter housing and retirement living options, and innovative products. This would also constitute a significant economic opportunity.

A strong democracy relies heavily on the quality of its justice system.

Delays continue to reduce the effectiveness of our justice system. Disputes must be addressed in a more efficient manner.

My government believes that there is a need for holistic reform to this system.

It has started this process of reform which will affect almost every element of the system, including police and prisons, victims and witnesses, the courts—both civil and criminal—and the Parole Board, the legal profession and the judiciary.

My government will improve the efficiency of the system and improve accuracy and accountability when offenders are charged. It will also make improvements in the early resolution of matters.

It will also look to expanding the options available to the system beyond fines and prison. Ideally, people who are not dangerous to others can be managed outside the prison system.

Education, health and justice are pillars of our democracy. The strength of our society will be shaped by the extent to which equal access to their institutions is guaranteed.

But we need to take other steps to further develop our democracy.

Democracy should not discriminate.

All South Australians were given the right to vote and the right to stand for parliament in 1894—but full participation in a modern democracy demands more than universal suffrage.

There remain vestiges of formal discrimination on the South Australian statute books.

South Australians are right to ask: how can we fight for a more open economy but simultaneously ignore the need for a more open society?

They may also wonder: how can we fight to ensure equal access to quality education, health and justice services but accept discrimination within our society?

Some individuals and families are not able to participate fully in our democracy because of who they are, whether it be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

The strength of our society will be shaped by the extent to which we can guarantee access to these pillars of our democracy, education, health and justice, to all South Australians.

My government will invite the South Australian Law Reform Institute to review legislative or regulatory discrimination against individuals and families on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or intersex status.

Their recommendations will then be considered in the South Australian parliament.

And we need to strengthen our democracy in other ways.

Democracy should not exclude.

My government will take steps to ensure that gender is not a barrier to full participation in our community.

It is a poor indictment on our modern society that women are victims of discrimination in the workplace and violence at home.

Women are still viewed by some as the property of a man—and this attitude lies behind the shocking prevalence of violence against women in Australia.

My government will strengthen responses to violence against women.

New initiatives include a court assistance service and an early warning system to provide an escalation point if there have been flaws in the response of a government agency to report of violence.

My government, as the largest employer in the state, will lead by example by ensuring all departments obtain White Ribbon Workplace accreditation.

We will also work with the private sector to expand the reach of this important initiative.

Prevention is the best remedy—but prevention demands cultural change.

The role of men must be intrinsic to this change. More men must be strong examples to other men if attitudes are to change.

This will ultimately improve the lives and relationships of men as well as women.

Honourable members, our democracy should be open to encourage all South Australians to participate fully.

Since settlement, South Australia has led the world on eliminating discrimination based on ethnicity or faith.

Under premier Don Dunstan, South Australia became a model of multiculturalism. Today we continue to celebrate the cultural and religious diversity in our community.

But we need to move to the next stage of our multicultural project.

We need to move beyond acceptance.

We need to emphasise understanding.

It will help us overcome the fear that lingers in some corners of Australian society. Fear of not being accepted into our diverse community for some—fear that others do not accept the Australian way of life for others.

South Australia will lead a national discussion about how we can reach the next phase of our great multicultural project so that we can move from acceptance to understanding.

South Australia is a small market. We need to look beyond our borders to uncover further opportunities and develop greater prosperity for our people. But we will not harvest a strong crop if we do not understand the earth in which it grows.

A greater understanding will help us to thrive in a business context. South Australia can further improve its impressive recent trade performance if we develop a stronger understanding of the customs and cultures of our trading partners.

We must seize this moment of opportunity.

Now is the time to re-create South Australia.

If our hearts and minds remain open, if we continue to work together, if we insist upon integrity and fairness, South Australia will be known around the world as the place where people and business thrive.

Honourable members, I now declare this session open, and trust that your deliberations will serve the advancement of the welfare of South Australia and of its people.

The Governor retired from the chamber, and the Speaker and members of the House of Assembly withdrew.

The President again took the chair and read prayers.

The PRESIDENT: We acknowledge that this land that we meet on today is the traditional lands for the Kaurna people and that we respect their spiritual relationship with their country. We also acknowledge the Kaurna people as the custodians of the Adelaide region and that their cultural and heritage beliefs are still as important to the living Kaurna people today.

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