I would like to speak on this bill and in support of the bill and reaffirm this government's strong commitment to public transport, and particularly rail transport. Members may recall that we electrified the southern line when we were last in government. We initiated the electrification of the northern line to Gawler when we were in government. I was going to say that it was completed by the Liberal government but it actually was not. It was completed during the period of a Labor government again, because the Liberal government took so long to get their act together. I think it was delayed about 18 months and was over budget by hundreds of millions of dollars—but they did a pretty good job.
As a former road safety minister, this is an issue that is obviously dear to my heart. When you see the data about road crashes and the deaths on our roads, as well as the pain caused to the families and friends of those people who die on our roads, and when you see some of the causes of those deaths—which were avoidable—it really does make you think about what we need to do to get the message across.
This week is Anti-Poverty Week. The week is about highlighting the plight and experience of people living in poverty in our community. It is very important during this week to tackle the problem of poverty and its impact on both adults and children. Part of the week is to make sure that we understand what we can do, as a government, community or society to tackle poverty in this country.
I would like to make a contribution to this debate, and I think what I would like to explore a bit further is some valuable insights that were provided on this topic by the member for Lee and the minister. The member for Lee was getting back to some really fundamental principles, which I think this debate about shop trading hours tends to cover.
The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light) (15:53): Today, I would like to touch upon an important issue in our communities, which is community consultation and the way governments go about community consultation, and not only governments but institutions as well. I think it is the difference between what is right and just doing things right. One is doing the right things—in other words, making sure we do the right things to engage—and the other is where you tick a box and just meet the requirements.
The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light) (16:44): I rise to speak in support of this bill. I will not repeat the excellent arguments for the bill which have been put by not only the minister in his opening speech but also the members for Newland, Wright, Playford, King and other speakers who have spoken to this bill already.
The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light) (15:00): Today, I wish to speak to this motion on behalf of the people of the electorate of Light, as the local member, and also in my role as the duty member for Schubert. The local community was shocked and saddened by the passing of Queen Elizabeth II on Friday 9 September, using various social media platforms to express their grief and sense of loss. After all, Her Majesty had only commissioned a new Prime Minister for the UK two days earlier.
The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light) (16:26): I will make a very brief contribution to this debate in support of the bill. Firstly, I would like to contrast the discussion to date. On the one hand, the opposition has been very alarmist and read all sorts of things into this bill, compared with the local member for this area, who has provided a very thoughtful consideration of what he sees are the benefits of this process
The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light) (15:35): Today, I wish to bring to the house's attention the annual Gawler Show held a few weeks ago. The Gawler Show is the biggest show outside the Adelaide Royal Show and is held over two days. This year, about 35,000 people attended over the two days, which is a huge number of people. I must congratulate Claire Forgie, the president of the Gawler Show society committee, and also all the volunteers and judges who made the event such a success, including the various service clubs that help out in some way, either at the gates or providing parking services.
The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light) (11:31): I rise to speak in support of the motion and make it very clear that I oppose the amendment. I will speak to the amendment first before I get to the area where I want to support the motion, but I also raise an example of where some really bad practice by a local council is impeding our efforts to improve housing in this country, particularly in my community.