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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-03-17 Daily Xml
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Address in Reply

Address in Reply

Adjourned debate on motion for adoption.

(Continued from 26 February 2015.)

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA (15:27): I also rise to support the motion and take this opportunity to congratulate the Governor on his appointment. I wish both His Excellency and Mrs Van Le all the very best for their tenure. My thanks go to Uncle Lewis O'Brien for his welcome to country, and I acknowledge that we meet on Kaurna land.

I, too, wish to note the passing of four former members since the opening of the 53rd parliament, in particular, the Hon. Bob Such, who will be greatly missed by many in this place for his honesty, commitment and forthrightness. I would also like to welcome new members Nat Cook, member for Fisher, and Sam Duluk, member for Davenport, in the other place. I also pass on my best wishes to Clerk Jan Davis who last year celebrated 50 years in the service of the Legislative Council.

Having heard His Excellency's speech, I am pleased to hear that 'Adelaide, the heart of the vibrant state', is one of the 10 economic priorities identified by the government this year, and I would like to thank those responsible for this resurgence. I am confident that investment—be it public or private—in the creative industries provides enormous and significant benefits to the community through jobs and well-being.

When I speak of the live music, arts, culture, hospitality and entertainment industry, there are many jobs in support such as teachers, sound and instrument technicians, radio and television technicians, instrument and equipment manufacturers, importers, wholesalers, and retailers, to name just a few occupations and disciplines our workforce—or those about to enter the workforce—can pursue and participate in.

I congratulate the Premier for his understanding and vision in supporting this industry. I would like to acknowledge the Adelaide Music Collective volunteers and their leader, Enrico Morena, and David 'Daisy' Day of the South Australian Music Hall of Fame. Their enduring commitment, passion and dedication to the Adelaide live music scene is paramount to maintaining and growing the industry.

A young man, Victor Marshall, who has volunteered many hours to the AMC and the South Australian Music Hall of Fame, deserves special mention for his work of gathering, arranging and displaying the material for the 'Yesterday's Heroes' exhibition. I urge all honourable members to visit the 'Yesterday's Heroes' exhibition at the State Library. It is free. It is an amazing collection of memorabilia, art, posters, tickets and records, highlighting South Australian music in the years 1956 to 1986. It offers a great historical perspective of where SA was placed in the national and international music scene.

For a more contemporary look at our achievements, I was thrilled to hear that Lonely Planet's travel guidebook listed Adelaide in its top 10 places to visit. Then recently, TheNew York Times labelled Adelaide as a city 'with a vibrant arts scene' listing it at 24 of the 52 worldwide destinations to visit. South Australia's Tkay Maidza and Bad//Dreems have both been nominated for best new talent in the 2015 6th Annual Rolling Stone Australia Awards as acts to watch in 2015.

I was thrilled to hear that Adelaide's Sia Furler was nominated and won the Rolling Stone Album of the Year, and then Tkay Maidza won this year's best new talent award. Tkay, who is currently in Austin, Texas, was also lauded as one of 'the six Australian acts to watch out for at SXSW (South by Southwest)', courtesy of www.themusic.com.au. I wish to acknowledge the ongoing work of Support Act and the Debonairs committee for their successful monthly fundraising lunches at the Norwood Hotel, which allow and assist music industry workers and their families to get through hard times.

The Music Industry Council of South Australia, chaired by David Grice, a successful initiative born from a recommendation of the Elbourne report, has worked to interweave the visions of the industry and the government so that progress and action can be made in unison. Given the federal government's cuts to the ABC and the focus of commercial radio and television stations centred in the Eastern States, it is most important that we acknowledge the community broadcasting radio and television stations, which are deserving of our support and gratitude for their role in giving airtime to our artists and their local content.

The Australian Hotels Association, especially Ian Horne and Wendy Bevan, should be acknowledged as big supporters of the local live music industry, working behind the scenes to ensure that artists have the space and requirements they need to perform. I would also like to acknowledge the role of the Premier, the Hon. Jay Weatherill, and ministers Rau and Snelling for their continued support and commitment to the South Australian music scene, as well as all those who work in the industry to make it what it is today and what it will continue to be into the future. I am hopeful that unhelpful decisions, such as the second year bond forfeit of the Soundwave music festival, which received only two noise complaints, will be a thing of the past. Let us learn from these handbrakes to a vibrant city and move forward.

With the small bar scene thriving, local music gaining worldwide exposure and live music venues finding a sympathetic ear within planning reforms, I feel confident that 2015 can and will be the year that Adelaide comes alive, and I am confident that it will centre Adelaide as one of the cultural and artistic cities of the world. It is now up to us and the people of South Australia to get behind and support our artists and those involved in the creative industry.

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) (15:33): I would like to acknowledge members' contribution to the Address in Reply and to start my contribution by thanking them for their words. Most importantly, thanks of course go to His Excellency, the Governor Hieu Van Le AO, for his opening speech of the Second Session of the 53rd Parliament. It was a great pleasure to see and hear Governor Le give his first Governor's speech.

In the relatively short time that Governor Le and his wife, Lan, have graced Government House, they have brought a distinctive style and warmth that has rapidly endeared them to hundreds and hundreds of South Australians already. It has been pleasing to hear, during the numerous addresses in this place over the last couple of weeks, of the almost universal appreciation of the Governor and his wife and their story of how they escaped from strife and oppression and made their way here at great risk, arriving with little more than hope and determination. That the Governor, his wife and subsequent family could work hard, prosper and now contribute so wholeheartedly to our community is a valuable reminder of why we are here in this place.

Mr and Mrs Le came to a country that was fertile ground for people willing to work hard and contribute, and that country was, and still is, a society with a complex web of social institutions and customs that respect the rule of law, personal and social responsibility and self-expression. Above all, Mr and Mrs Le came to a country with a great generosity of spirit, which is readily shared with those willing to embrace it.

Members on both sides of the chamber spoke sometimes very movingly of their own and their families' experiences as new arrivals in this country. I would like to think that we all share in the pleasure and pride that comes from the generosity our country has extended and repaid so fully. Ultimately we are still creating those conditions in South Australia. We are still creating a place that will allow our citizens to thrive and prosper and reach their potential. That is our job, and I thank the Governor for reminding us, through his example, so wonderfully of its purpose.

On Tuesday, 10 February the Governor gave a comprehensive outline of the Weatherill Labor government's bold vision agenda for South Australia. He alluded to the particular challenges facing South Australia as our economy goes through a period of rapid transition brought on by a combination of external pressures, the decline of our manufacturing industries, especially in the vehicle manufacturing sector, and the uncertainties of global and resource trends.

There is also the shameful backtracking of the Abbott federal government from its election commitment to build the major part of the $50 billion submarine contract here in South Australia. This decision of breathtaking political cynicism seems to have been taken by a federal government apparently completely unhinged from the realities facing the South Australian economy and in absolute denial of the impressive technical capacities amassed in our state's maritime industries.

The words of the former federal defence minister David Johnston that he would not trust the Australian Submarine Corporation to build a canoe—for which he was justifiably dumped—still rankles in the hearts and minds of most South Australians. How that debacle will ultimately play out remains to be seen, but certainly it is one of the larger challenges on the state government's plate.

Those challenges compel us to look at all options for South Australia's future. One of the potential avenues for action is a potentially changing role for the nuclear industry in South Australia. We have had more than quarter of a century of uranium production at Roxby Downs and it is now timely to consider what role we can and should play in the nuclear fuel cycle into the future.

A royal commission into the nuclear industry is clearly a good way to go forward to ensure that we have a mature, robust and informed debate on this issue. I have no doubt that it will preoccupy a great deal of public attention and raise temperatures in some quarters, but I trust that the process will lead to a reasoned and objective outcome.

One factor under consideration will no doubt be the role of nuclear fuel globally as a low carbon source of energy. Our national and international track record as a generator of power from renewable sources is impressive, and it is the intention of the Weatherill government to consolidate our notable efforts of the last decade.

Green Industries SA will both attract investment to SA and help exploit the expertise developed here along the way to become a leading generator of sustainable energy. In addition, we will be striving to create a carbon neutral Adelaide green zone to make Adelaide the world's first carbon neutral city. The new industries and technologies that this will entail will help change our city into a more vibrant and safe place. Under the Weatherill government, Adelaide has become a more exciting and dynamic place. It might be Mad March as I speak, but the changes we have brought about are becoming permanent, as we now regularly rank highly in global surveys of the world's most liveable and visitable cities.

Positive changes to our licensing laws are creating a unique and intimate ambience to our city and we are consolidating these changes by bringing the Adelaide Fashion Festival into the city centre to create a dynamic event that will help capture the world's imagination. It is not just the city centre that will benefit from our efforts, a more open planning system will enshrine an urban growth boundary for Adelaide, as well as protecting our prime agricultural land. Our commitment to renewing all Housing Trust stock that predates 1968 will also create new dynamism.

As Minister for Higher Education, I have witnessed firsthand how the South-East Asian economies appreciate the benefits of our state's education services. I have seen the great potential that a closer interaction with the South-East Asian economies could bring to South Australia through not just our education services, but tourism and the demand for our premium food and wine. So, I welcome the coming release of the state's South-East Asia Engagement Strategy as well as the creation of a new investment body.

Creating a better investment environment requires us to look anew at our state's taxation system and the Weatherill government has declared itself open to radical reform of our tax system. Predictably, there have already been a number of sensationalist panics and alarmist bubbles floated by the chattering classes and we have not heard the last of them, I am sure, Mr President. The same principle applies to the question of South Australia's time zone and its potential or otherwise for change.

A significant principle at stake with these issues: nuclear power, taxation reform and time zone, is our intention to take the South Australian community along with us when it comes to complex and nuanced decisions about our future. While we are considering the broader principles of social debate, I look forward to the progress of legislation to improve the integrity of our system of government. Legislation to enforce greater transparency of campaign donations and to individual members of parliament and greater scrutiny of lobbying activities will, I believe, be welcomed by a very large section of the voting public.

Although there has been little reaction to our intention to explore the new information and communication technology and more citizens' juries that will make involvement in political decision-making easier, they will ultimately be welcomed. Our educational and training institutions will be encouraged to focus strongly on the sectors of the economy that offer people scope for growth and are delivering on our economic priorities. Our health services must adapt and thrive to Australia's changing age demographics. Rather than assuming this as a negative, South Australia, with its impressive scope of medical and bioscience research, is uniquely placed to develop enterprises based on assistive technologies, innovative health services and smarter housing infrastructure.

Along with health and education, the third pillar of our democracy is justice, and we have already announced reforms to the justice system which will improve efficiency and accountability. We will also continue our steady progress on addressing the complexities of domestic violence. An improved court assistance service and an early warning system to provide an escalation point, if there have been flaws in agency responses, have been identified as suitable and effective initiatives and will be followed through. In the case of domestic violence, we have seen a marked change in recent times around men speaking up on this issue, sparked by some appalling individual cases. Attitudes are shifting and it is vital that we take this momentum and use it to create some long-lasting cultural change.

The Governor's speech acknowledged that South Australia faces significant and even daunting challenges. We cannot shy away from those difficulties. However, we can draw strength from the fact that there is a clear set of economic priorities and that they provide a clear and positive path forward, which is in stark contrast to the catalogue of woe and calamity outlined by the naysayers opposite, who have not advanced a skerrick of practical policy which would address the issues at hand, let alone provide anything resembling a coherent vision for South Australia's future.

The best the opposition can do, apparently, is to suggest, as the Hon. Stephen Wade did, that we press the reset button on our plans. Their big plan, though, is to drive determinedly into the future only gazing in the rear vision mirror. If they had their way, they would no doubt press the reset button back to the 1950s because, for them, the present-day modern world is just too hard and complex for them. It is too confusing for them and it is just much easier for the opposition to stay irrelevant.

On the other hand, our plan is to shift the economy up through the gears by engaging the strengths within our state's resources, especially our greatest resource: the people of this state. The Governor's speech demonstrates clearly that the Weatherill government is open to new ideas and fresh approaches based on our strengths. We will take bold action and seize the unique opportunities that are needed to recreate South Australia. That is our challenge and we will take it up passionately and resolutely over the course of this parliamentary session.

Motion carried.

The PRESIDENT: I remind all honourable members that His Excellency the Governor will receive the President and members of the council at 4pm today for the presentation of the Address in Reply. I ask all honourable members to accompany me to Government House.

Sitting suspended from 15:46 to 16:45.

The PRESIDENT: I have to inform the council that, accompanied by the mover, seconder and other honourable members, I proceeded to Government House and there presented to His Excellency the Address in Reply to His Excellency's opening speech adopted by this council today, to which His Excellency was pleased to make the following reply:

Thank you for your Address in Reply to the speech with which I opened the Second Session of the Fifty-Third Parliament. I am confident that you will give your best consideration to all matters placed before you. I pray that your deliberations will add meaning and value to the lives of our South Australian community.

His Excellency the Hon. Hieu Van Le AO

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