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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2019-02-12 Daily Xml
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Question Time

Pairing Arrangements

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:38): My question is to the Leader of the Government. How important to the proper functioning of parliament is the convention to honour pairs that have been agreed to between the government and the opposition on every single vote?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:38): The last thing in the world that I would be raising in this particular chamber is the issue of pairs, given the appalling practice the Labor opposition has adopted in clear contravention with past practice in terms of a generally flexible arrangement of providing pairs to ministers of the Crown in going about their business. The position that has been adopted by the new Leader of the Opposition and the new whip has been completely contrary to past convention and practice.

Certainly, in my long history in this particular chamber, oppositions have tended to accept the fact that ministers do have a role to conduct and on important business are entitled to receive pairs. The practices of this chamber have been practices generally followed over Labor and Liberal governments and Labor and Liberal oppositions for all of my very many years in this particular chamber.

They have changed considerably in recent times. What the practices are in the other chamber in the South Australian parliament, and indeed in chambers in other parts of Australia, are entirely matters for those particular chambers to establish, continue or alter as they see fit. But I will answer to the chamber for the practices and conventions in this chamber and I have been appalled at the breaches that we have seen in the last 12 months.

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