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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-11-16 Daily Xml
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Council Amalgamations

The Hon. L.A. CURRAN (15:17): My question is to the Acting Minister for Local Government on council amalgamations. Given the fact that the minister admitted in this chamber yesterday that she was one of less than 10 per cent of the ratepayers to vote yes for the investigation into council amalgamation, will she admit that she is out of touch with her own community of Port MacDonnell, who voted overwhelmingly against the plebiscite?

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:17): I do think it is a little insulting to the number of people who did vote in favour of the investigation for the opposition to be characterising it in such a way.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I was happy for the question to be put. I was happy for an investigation to proceed. Roughly a third of respondents across the two council areas were also happy for an investigation to occur.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: What we are very committed to on this side of the chamber—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —what we are very committed to as a government—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —is inviting people to have their say.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! I don't know where this behaviour comes from. I don't know who set an example of this behaviour.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! No, I wasn't thinking of the Hon. Rob Lucas. Please continue, minister.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: Thank you, Mr President. As I was saying, those of us on this side of the house and the Malinauskas Labor government are committed to letting people have their say. A plebiscite enables people to have their say.

It is very interesting referring to remarks made by the Leader of the Opposition in the other house, remarks that he made on radio which suggested that what he would have done is actually set up a case for one side or another and then put it out to people, as though it was up to him, whereas we don't want that sort of top-down response.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: What we want is to consult with people, which is exactly what the plebiscite did.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: Again, we have heard time and time again in this place complaints by those opposite that we went through a consultation process. They complained about there being consultation. They complained about—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Leader of the Government!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —residents of the Limestone Coast and the two relevant councils—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order, honourable Leader of the Opposition!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —being able to have their say on whether this proposal should be investigated further. It would appear they didn't want local people to have their say on whether this proposal should be investigated further. They didn't want people to be asked for their views, whether it was something that had sufficient support for further investigation or whether it was something—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —that did not have sufficient support.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: They are terrible interjections, the pair of you. Ridiculous.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: The fact that we have put the question is a positive thing. I would really like to thank those—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —many people who took the time—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —to respond to the plebiscite, who took the time to vote in local council elections and who took the time to make their views known. We, on this side of the chamber, are not afraid to ask the question; we are not afraid to listen to the answer. That is what has happened: we have listened to the answer and as I have stated on many occasions—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —both in this chamber and publicly in the media—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Minister—

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —we will not be progressing further because we—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —are happy—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Minister, please conclude your remarks. It's been going for long enough.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —we are happy to listen to the views of local people.

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