Adjourned debate on motion of Mr Odenwalder (resumed on motion).

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (16:35): Thank you for your protection once again, Madam Deputy Speaker. I rise to speak to the 90th report of the Economic and Finance Committee, entitled the Emergency Services Levy 2016-17. As has been indicated by the member for Chaffey and others on this side, this is purely a land tax—purely a land tax.

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Stop the clock.

Mr PEDERICK: Chuck them out, ma'am.

Adjourned debate on motion of Mr Odenwalder:

That the 87th report of the committee, entitled Emergency Services Levy 2015-16, be noted.

(Continued from 1 July 2015.)

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (11:24): I rise to speak on the Economic and Finance Committee 87th report on the emergency services levy 2015-16. In regard to this levy, the total funding target for 2015-16 was $278.2 million and $7.5 million to the Community Emergency Services Fund, which was to do with costs associated with the emergency services responses to the 2015 Sampson Flat bushfires.

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 12 April 2017.)

Mr PEDERICK ( Hammond ) ( 15:57 ): I rise to speak to the Statutes Amendment (Transport Online Transactions and Other Matters) Bill 2017. What is happening here with this legislation is that the government is making quite a few small changes to the Motor Vehicles Act 1959, the Road Traffic Act 1961, the Highways Act 1926, the Heavy Vehicle National Law (South Australia) Act 2013 and the Harbors and Navigation Act 2013. As has been indicated by the shadow minister, the member for Unley, the bill amends these acts to remove gender-specific language, reflecting the government's policy on gender identity and equality, evidently. From my count, in regard to gender-specific language there are 215 changes taking out 'his' or 'her' or 'he'; you will either be a 'person' or a 'commissioner' or something else.

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 12 April 2017.)

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (11:14): I rise to speak to the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (South Australia) (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill 2017. I reiterate what the lead speaker, the member for Schubert, said—that we will be supporting small businesses, that we will be supporting competition and that we will be supporting the individual pharmacy owners in this bill. We will not be supporting the increase one group wanted in their ownership capability, but we will be supporting other measures in the bill.

The State Liberals have today welcomed the announcement made by Costa Adelaide Mushrooms, which will see a $60 million expansion to the Monarto mushroom facility.

“As the local Member, it’s great to see such a significant investment in the region,” said Member for Hammond Adrian Pederick

A key education policy aimed at giving every South Australian child a strong foundation in literacy – the Literacy Guarantee – was launched by the State Liberals this week.

With a focus on regional South Australia, students with dyslexia and other learning difficulties will be a key area of the comprehensive plan to improve literacy and numeracy outcomes for all students.

The State Liberals have welcomed the reintroduction of the $40 million supplementary local road funding program in the 2017-18 Federal Budget.

The $40 million program was reintroduced this week after extensive lobbying from State and Federal Liberal MPs who opposed the program being cut in the 2014-15 Federal Budget.

Mr PEDERICK ( Hammond ) ( 11:22 ): Thank you, Madam Independent Deputy Speaker. I rise to speak on the motion from the deputy leader (the member for Bragg):

That this house expresses its concern at the systematic reduction in acute health services for the people of the western suburbs through the government's Transforming Health program, and in particular—

(a) the downgrading of the emergency department and intensive care u nit services at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital;

(b) the reduction in The Queen Elizabeth Hospital's cardiac services; and

(c) the degradation of the hospital's current services by a lack of proper provision for the transfer of rehabilitation services from the Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre site.

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 29 March 2017.)

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (16:57): I rise to speak to the National Gas (South Australia) (Pipelines Access-Arbitration) Amendment Bill introduced in this house on 29 March 2017. I make the point, as I have before, that I have worked in the Cooper Basin, the Alice Springs oilfields and in Jackson, Queensland, back in the early eighties.

Exporters in the Hammond electorate will benefit from four new overseas trade offices in key markets if the State Liberals are elected in March 2018.

The State Liberals have committed $12.8 million in funding over four years to open new trade offices in Japan, Malaysia, Dubai and the United States to improve South Australia’s export performance.