Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (11:48): I move:

That this house commends the Marshall Liberal government for recognising the importance of regional South Australia and its communities, noting their contribution to our economy worth more than $29 billion per year, through—

(a) investing $3 billion across more than 1,000 regional projects;

(b) upgrading hospitals, doubling country cancer services and upgrading about 4,800 kilometres of regional roads; and

(c) implementing the Our Regions Matter blueprint following extensive consultation with regional communities about what is needed to improve opportunities for the 29 per cent of South Australia's population living and working outside the metropolitan community.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (16:50): I, too, rise to support this bill for a cross-border commissioner. It has been well delivered in this house by previous speakers and this is something that I believe we should complete in haste.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (17:10): I rise to speak on the estimates process, sadly from opposition. It was an interesting time, as has been discussed, where you try to get answers from the government. I am very privileged to be the shadow minister for veterans' affairs, emergency services and regional roads.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (20:11): I rise to speak to the budget bill, the Appropriation Bill, and note that with the addition of the Supply Bill the total state budget for the coming 12 months is $23½ billion. It is interesting to note that with a change of government there are a lot of projects that come over that we started, and thankfully most of them are ongoing.

Mr ELLIS (Narungga) (10:37): I move:

That this house—

(a) recognises the serious shortage of doctors and other medical staff in regional South Australia;

(b) acknowledges that regional South Australians are just as worthy of access to quality health care as those in the metropolitan areas;

(c) notes that incentivising doctors in regional South Australia has not worked and that it is time to guarantee it;

(d) calls on the state government to ensure the equal distribution of general practitioner doctors around regional South Australia, now and in the future; and

(e) calls on the state government to establish a dedicated department of regional health to support access to quality health care across South Australia.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (12:50): I rise to support the South Australian Motorsport (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill 2022. I note that the South Australian Motorsport Board was axed in 2014 by the Weatherill Labor government following a review of state government boards. Quite a few boards got the chop at the time. It was determined that this board, among others, was creating unnecessary work for the Public Service. As indicated by the member for Hartley, the member for Mawson at the time thought, 'If the government can run this, why do we need a board?' He must have had a change of heart.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (11:59): I rise to speak to the National Gas (South Australia) (Market Transparency) Amendment Bill. We note that this bill, as has been stated by our lead spokesman, the shadow minister, will improve transparency in the eastern and northern Australian gas markets. This bill was previously introduced by the former Minister for Energy and Mining on 9 September 2021 but, as parliament prorogued, it could not be voted on.

Ms HUTCHESSON (Waite) (12:51): I move:

That this house—

(a) notes that 4 May 2022 was International Firefighters’ Day;

(b) remembers the firefighters who have lost their lives while serving our community;

(c) expresses condolences to the family and friends of Louise Hincks who tragically died in January this year while fighting a fire at Coles in the state’s South-East; and

(d) shows its support and appreciation for firefighters who put themselves at risk and work hard every day to protect our community.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (16:59): I, too, rise to speak to the Supply Bill 2022. As a bit of background around the Supply Bill, it is introduced into parliament each year and outlines the total sum of money to be appropriated from the Consolidated Account for the Public Service of the state for the coming financial year for a period of time until the Appropriation Bill, or the budget bill, has passed through parliament, noting that the budget will be lodged here tomorrow. It is essentially a means to an end. That is exactly what it is—to keep the wheels of the state grinding along until the Appropriation Bill is passed.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (15:57): I rise today to talk about the privilege I have in serving not only this state but also my community in the roles of shadow minister for veterans affairs, emergency services and regional roads. In regard to veterans affairs, we have recently had commemorations involving ANZAC Day and, as I discussed in this place the other day, the Battle of the Coral Sea.