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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-11-15 Daily Xml
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Nuclear Waste

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (14:36): My question is to the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation. Given the potentially significant environmental impacts of storing nuclear waste in the pristine outback of South Australia, does the minister support the establishment of a nuclear waste dump in South Australia, as being pursued by his Premier?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (14:36): Thank you to the honourable member for this incredible question. One could ask, in fact, do the Liberals support the federal government's proposition of putting a nuclear waste storage facility in outback South Australian as well? The Hon. Michelle Lensink completely ignores that question. She asks a question of me about the environmental concerns, but she doesn't ask me a question about the environmental concerns related to the federal Liberal Party's proposal to have an environmental dump in South Australia. The whole tenor of this incredibly opportunistic line of questioning from the opposition—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Minister, take a seat. Will the Leader of the Opposition allow the minister—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: —and the Minister for Police, just desist, and allow the minister to answer this question.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: I don't need your help, Hon. Mr Dawkins.

The Hon. P. Malinauskas interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Will the honourable minister desist and allow his colleague the Minister for Environment to answer the question.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Thank you, Mr President, for keeping us all in order. This is an incredibly opportunistic line of questioning from the incredibly lazy opposition we have in this place. Let's go to the nub of this question: let's contrast a leader of this state, who has been completely up front with the community, saying, 'We're going to go out and have a discussion and a debate on a really difficult issue, and we want your input.'

Contrast that with the leader of the Liberals in the other place, Steven Marshall, the member for Dunstan, who was out there rallying the troops, saying, 'Fantastic idea, that was our idea, you stole it from us; that was our idea, the Liberal Party's idea, that you stole from us,' and now he says, 'Oh my goodness, let me lead from the back, I've seen what the community have said in the citizens' jury, I'm running away scared from any more engagement on this issue.'

This is the authenticity that we have on display between the two leaders. One who goes out there and takes the public into his confidence and says, 'I want to have a discussion with you about an incredibly important topic, about the future of our state,' and the other one who flip-flops and says, 'You stole my idea, oh my goodness, that's a bad idea, we're running away from it at a million miles an hour.' This goes to a question of authenticity, and of integrity.

What we have seen so far, in the space of a few short days, is that the Liberal Party leader, Steven Marshall, member for Dunstan, has absolutely no integrity whatsoever and no authenticity. It is little wonder that we could probably all have bet where he would have lined up on this because he takes the path of least resistance on all these issues. He has opposed every single thing that the state government has tried to do to improve our community, to improve our state and to improve our city.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Well, let's have a think about what he has opposed. What did you oppose last week? Oh, the Northern Adelaide Irrigation Scheme—that comes to mind. What about the trams? They opposed that as well. What about the incredible investment we are making into our North Terrace boulevard, with the new Royal Adelaide Hospital? Yes, they opposed that as well. Not a single thing have these people opposite said yes to. Not a single thing, and here they are, trying to make a virtue of a leader with absolutely no integrity and no authenticity, who has not got a leadership bone in his body, and they think that it is a smart move for them to actually get out behind him.

We all know what the Liberals think about the nuclear waste dump, because they have been moseying up to us in the corridors for the last 12 months. They have been moseying up to us in the corridors of this place secretly whispering—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Minister, sit down. It is totally irresponsible of members of this chamber, especially in positions such as the Leader of the Opposition and the Minister for Police (and for correctional services and every other portfolio he has) to be arguing while the minister is trying to give an answer. It is totally disrespectful. I would like the minister to get to his feet and finish his answer.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Thank you, Mr President. We all know that the Liberal opposition is completely divided on this policy. They have said to us privately what they think we should be doing in this regard, but, lo and behold, it is completely different to the policy position they adopted in their party room this week. I refer the honourable member, and all interested members, to the Premier's statement, and the last line. It is pretty clear:

We will not pursue policy or legislative change at this time—

you can't get much clearer than that—

but we will, however, continue to facilitate discussion and remain open in pursuing this opportunity for our state.

What is wrong with that? What is wrong about continuing a discussion with the people of South Australia about a very difficult subject? We are up front about it; the Liberals hide their position on this, and they will be caught out on it by the people of South Australia.

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