Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 1 July 2015.)

Mr PEDERICK ( Hammond ) ( 17:06 ): The Local Government (Accountability and Governance) Amendment Bill seeks to improve local government accountability and governance and is about implementing recommendations made by the Ombudsman to achieve a more consistent and contemporary legislative framework for local government to operate under. It is also, as I remember when the minister introduced the bill, to manage issues around conflict of interest and the appropriate way these are managed. I note that we have to declare any conflicts of interest that we may have in this house, and the other members in the other place.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (12:40): I rise after a blistering performance from the member for Bragg and a less than insightful performance from the member for Kaurna. Be that as it may, I rise to speak in the aftermath of estimates, which is a rather interesting process—and some people think it is an absurd process. Certainly, the member for Kaurna reflected that the opposition do not put up any ways the process can be improved. Well, yes we do and yes we have many years running in respect of some ministers who have the courage to sit up and say, 'Well, give it to me,' like the former member for Port Adelaide, Kevin Foley, which he did regularly. That is the one thing that I will give him credit for. One or two ministers in this place for estimates and in the other place basically did the same thing, but they were very much in the minority.

Mr PEDERICK ( Hammond ) ( 11:57 ): I move:

That this house—

(a) opposes mandatory maximum speed limit reductions on country roads when there is no safety-based evidence to support the change;

(b) calls on the state government to—

(i) make public its review into maximum speed limits on regional roads in South Australia;

(ii) undertake a comprehensive safety audit of all country roads where the speed limit has been reduced from 110 km/h to 100 km/h in the past four years and, where there is no evidence to support improved road safety outcomes, immediately change the speed limit back;

(iii) commit funding to upgrade regional council and arteria l roads currently posted at 110 km/h rather than further reduce speed limits; and

(iv) prioritise regional road maintenance when addressing the $400 million road maintenance backlog.

Mr PEDERICK ( Hammond ) ( 11:30 ): I move:

That this house calls on the state government to establish Mypolonga as a fruit fly exclusion zone and commit extra funding to biosecurity measures to protect against fruit fly threats and outbreaks in South Australia.

Mr PEDERICK ( Hammond ) ( 19:30 ): It truly is a delight to give an address to the Appropriation Bill 2015, and it is a delight to be speaking after the dinner break which is something we rarely do in these days of so-called family friendly sitting days. As a country member, I do not mind if we sit here half the night, but be that as it may.

Mr PEDERICK ( Hammond ) ( 11:03 ): I rise to support the Family Relationships (Surrogacy) Amendment Bill. This bill was introduced by my colleague and good friend the Hon. John Dawkins MLC from another place. It seeks to amend the Family Relationships Act 1975 and to make a related amendment to the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Act 1988. Obviously, this all relates to the Statutes Amendment (Surrogacy) Act 2009.

Mr PEDERICK ( Hammond ) ( 16:42 ): I rise to speak to the Intervention Orders (Prevention of Abuse) (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill 2015, and I will assure the parliament that I have no notes on the Magna Carta, which is a shame.

Mr PEDERICK ( Hammond ) ( 11:58 ): I rise to support this excellent motion by the member for Chaffey which reads:

That this house—

(a) recognises the benefits of grassroots community sport and recreation to South Australia; and
(b) urges the state government to reverse its decision to reduce funding to the Community Recreation and Sport Facilities Program by $3.5 million per annum from 2015- 16.

Mr PEDERICK: Come on, Bronwyn! Anyway, I think it is disgraceful when we have these black spots for phone towers on our regional highways. I know some of it is not in my electorate now but, when you go out through to Karoonda and Mindarie, where the Mindarie mine was operating, there were certainly very good spots for two towers: one at Wynarka and one at Mindarie.

Mr PEDERICK ( Hammond ) ( 15:18 ): Sometimes I wonder if I live in the same universe as members opposite. I too want to make some comments in regard to the federal government and the great things they have done with their federal budget that was handed down on Tuesday night.