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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2017-05-30 Daily Xml
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Cabinet Meetings

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (14:55): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Leader of Government Business a question regarding cabinet meetings.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE: I have noted with much interest that over the last few months it appears that the traditional cabinet process of due diligence, scrutiny and effort into growing South Australia's future seems to be off the radar with the cabinet. Traditionally, cabinet has met for at least the morning of Monday and, in fact, over history, if you have a look, many cabinets have met for most of the Mondays consistently week-in and week-out. They then have a further meeting of Executive Council on a Thursday morning where other issues can be addressed regarding cabinet-related matters in South Australia.

In recent times, we have been advised of the Minister for Primary Industries on a Monday over on Kangaroo Island campaigning when clearly one would have thought he would need to be in cabinet. We have also noted recently on a Monday another minister doing a good job but out visiting constituents during that whole Monday. As recently as yesterday, we saw on the television news last night the Premier and another minister at Costa mushroom farm at Monarto, Murray Bridge, announcing a $1.8 million grant to expansion there. My questions to the minister are:

1. Does the cabinet still meet every Monday and, if so, is the whole of the cabinet generally at those meetings?

2. If that is not the case, is the rumour true that the cabinet is run by three?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (14:57): I guess I thank the honourable member for his sort of questions. I realise that it has been a very, very long time since his very, very short stint as a cabinet minister but he might have forgotten that rule number one of cabinet is that you don't talk about what goes on in cabinet. We don't talk about what happens in cabinet.

I don't know how seriously the honourable member, in his very short time a very long time ago in cabinet, took his oath as a cabinet minister. I presume he freely talked to everyone about what happened in cabinet and when it happened and how it happened. That is not how we operate—that is just not how we operate, so no, I am not going to talk to you about what goes on in cabinet except to say that it is a very constructive process where ministers speak freely and make decisions for the state in the best interests of the state of South Australia.

I note that some of his other questions seem to complain about people doing their job. His complaints are that he sees ministers out on Kangaroo Island and out near Murray Bridge. His complaint seems to be that ministers are doing their job and getting out into the community. Do you know what? This government does not apologise for that. We don't care what the Hon. Rob Brokenshire would like us to do or what he suggests he might do if ever he was a minister again and stay nicely ensconced in Adelaide or at Mount Compass. We will continue to go out into the community, whether that is KI or Murray Bridge or Ceduna or Mount Gambier or Pipalyatjara. We will continue to do that.

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