The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, representing the Premier, a question about the electorate of Ramsay.
Leave granted.
The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: As was the case for most members on this side of the chamber, we were not invited to the Labor state conference on the weekend, and we have had to rely on media reports and leaks from members opposite for details. On 1 December, The Advertiser contained several articles that demonstrated just how out of touch the Labor Party is on policy discussions—for example, its opposition to the reduction of plastic shopping bags on the ground that cloth bags are ‘a health risk’, and the Attorney-General’s statement in relation to a motion in support of the Director of Public Prosecutions that public opinion had ‘nothing to do with sentencing’ which, I note, was roundly not accepted as a truthful statement.
The article, entitled ‘Take the word to the people, says Rann’, really caught my eye. It was reported that the Premier exhorted Labor members to ‘get back out there and talk with South Australians again’. However, I am not sure whether the Premier was urging Labor MPs to engage with their electors since, in his case at least, anecdotal evidence suggests that his time is spent somewhere within a 100-metre zone of the Parade at Norwood. My questions are:
1. Does the Premier believe that Labor members have ceased talking to South Australians since they took office?
2. How many official events has the Premier attended in his electorate in the past 18 months? What were they and when?
3. Without first checking, can the Premier recite the names of the suburbs and their postcodes in his electorate of Ramsay?
4. How many cafe lattes does the Premier partake of in the electorate of Ramsay in proportion to Norwood? What is his comparison of their standard?
The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries): That really is a pathetic question. First of all—
Members interjecting:
The PRESIDENT: Order! There is far too much opinion.
The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: —the honourable member made a number of errors in relation to the ALP conference.
I point out that the Australian Labor Party has an open conference and there is provision for visitors.
The Hon. T.G. Cameron: Thank you; I will come next year. I will see how welcome I am!
The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: The honourable member would certainly not be welcome, and I suspect the reason is the history, and he knows that full well.
Members interjecting:
The PRESIDENT: Order!
The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: The Australian Labor Party has an open decision-making basis, unlike the honourable member’s party. I suggest that, if the honourable member wishes to suggest that she can do a better job, she resign from this place, stand as the Liberal candidate for Ramsay at the next election and see how well she does.
Latest News
@miclensink
@miclensink
