The Hon. J.S. LEE (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:54): I move:

That this Council—

1. Notes that 5 December is International Volunteer Day;
2. Recognises the tireless work of volunteers across South Australia; and
3. Encourages all South Australians to thank our volunteers and show their appreciation for the contributions volunteers make to our state.

As the Shadow Minister for Communities, I would like to take this opportunity to express my thanks and to recognise the remarkable contributions that South Australian volunteers make to our state every single day.

International Volunteer Day is fast approaching on 5 December, and it is an international day of observance that was mandated by the United Nations General Assembly in 1985.

The Hon. J.S. LEE (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:39): I am delighted to rise today to speak about the Adelaide Dining Magazine and acknowledge the dynamic hospitality industry in South Australia.

As the Shadow Minister for Tourism and Hospitality, I had the great honour to represent the Hon. David Speirs, the Leader of the Liberal Party, to attend the Adelaide Dining Magazine 2023 Edition Launch on Sunday 27 November 2022.

Adelaide Dining Magazine was established in 2014 and has built a reputation for showcasing the best and most innovative restaurants and dining venues in the South Australian hospitality industry.

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. C.M. Scriven:

That this Council—

1. Recognises the contribution of the Italian community to South Australia and the role of the South Australian Italian Association which has served the Italian community in South Australia for more than 70 years;
2. Congratulates the recipients of the inaugural SAIA Awards on 12 November, including Rosa Matto (Culture and Art Award), Enzo Lombi (Research & Development and Innovation Award), the Romeo family (Business Award), Joyce and Joseph Ceravolo (Young Achiever Award); and
3. Congratulates Antonietta Cocchiaro on receiving the Italian Honour of Cavalier of the Italian Republic and acknowledges her contribution to Italian radio and her role with the South Australian Multicultural Commission.

The Hon. J.S. LEE (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (12:46): It is a great privilege to rise today on behalf of the Liberal Party and as Shadow Minister for Multicultural South Australia to speak on this motion to recognise the outstanding contributions of the South Australian Italian Association and the Italian community in South Australia.

While recognising the valuable reference in the motion moved by the Hon. Clare Scriven, I wish to indicate that I am seeking to amend the motion in order to make the terms of reference more inclusive and provide a better reflection of all South Australians who have received honours awarded by the Italian Government for their meritorious service to the Italian community.

The Hon. J.S. LEE (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:32): My question is directed to the parliamentary secretary about inaccurate information.

The PRESIDENT: You haven't sought leave; just ask the question.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: 

From the comment from the parliamentary secretary earlier, if this was the first time the parliamentary secretary was advised that she had misled the council, as per her statement, will she be seeking an explanation from the education minister as to why he did not draw to her attention that his chief executive had pointed out her error several weeks ago, or from her colleagues who sit on the Budget and Finance Committee as to why they did not do so either? The public need to know the answers.

The Hon. J.S. LEE (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:52): 

I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development about the Riverland regional community.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: 

The Riverland regional community is going through many challenges right now and there are increasing concerns about the floods having significant impact on vulnerable community members. Rental assistance will be available for individuals and families who are not insured who are displaced from their homes by floodwaters and do not have access to alternative accommodation. My questions to the minister are:

1. What is the expected total number of individuals and families in the Riverland regional community that will make a claim?

2. What modelling is this based on?

3. How fast can vulnerable residents access the financial assistance, and can the minister indicate an estimated time frame—will it take days or weeks?

4. What measures will the government put in place for those who will miss out on rental accommodation and have nowhere to go?

The Hon. J.S. LEE (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:41): 

I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Industrial Relations regarding the CFMEU.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: 

Reports of intimidation, verbal assaults and ongoing disruption on city construction sites by the John Setka-led CFMEU were reported in The Advertiser last Thursday. Master Builders SA chief executive, Will Frogley, said, and I quote:

…workers were being intimidated to join the CFMEU or risk losing work, while builders were being pressured to agree to pay deals that could send them broke.

There were also reports that some CBD construction sites had displayed 'No ticket, no start' signs, meaning non-union members were barred from entering sites. My questions to the minister are:

1. Does the minister condone the behaviour of intimidation, verbal assaults and ongoing disruptions, as reported on city construction sites, by the John Setka-led CFMEU?

2. Has the minister or one of his other ministerial colleagues met with Master Builders SA to discuss this intimidation issue specifically?

3. If so, when was the most recent meeting—a date would be great—and what measures will the government put in place to prevent all these ongoing disruptions?

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. S.L. Game:

That this Council acknowledges the importance of philanthropy and community service to our society, and recognises the philanthropic and charitable endeavours of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The Hon. J.S. LEE (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (22:39): It is with great sadness that I rise today to support this motion. I wish to personally add my deepest sympathy and condolences to the royal family on the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and pay tribute to Her late Majesty for her lifetime of distinguished service and her legacy of philanthropic endeavours that have had lasting impact on the world.

The Hon. J.S. LEE (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (22:09): I move:

That this Council—

1. Recognises that the Australian Red Cross has been supporting communities in need through its humanitarian work and community support services since 1914;
2. Acknowledges the significant contributions that the Australian Red Cross makes in providing a wide range of programs and support to refugees, asylum seekers, immigration detainees, and migrant communities; and
3. Notes the success of the Australian Red Cross’ partnership with the Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health in delivering the 'Health in My Language' Program to support bilingual health education for vulnerable women from culturally and linguistically diverse communities in South Australia.

It is a great honour to rise today to move this motion in my name to acknowledge the significant contributions made by Australian Red Cross since 1914.

For more than a century, the Red Cross has been one of the leading humanitarian organisations in Australia, bringing people and communities together in times of need and collectively strengthening the human capacity to rebuild communities.

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. T.T. Ngo:

That this council—

1. Condemns the deadly and disproportionate use of force against protesters in Iran, following the tragic death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Jina (Mahsa) Amini;
2. Expresses concern at the disproportionate attacks on ethnic minorities in Kurdistan and the Baloch regions of Iran;
3. Supports the right of all people in Iran to protest peacefully and calls on Iranian authorities to exercise restraint and heed the call of protestors;
4. Supports the inherent right of the people of Iran to call for democracy in Iran;
5. Stands with women and girls in Iran in their struggle for equality and empowerment, and calls on Iranian authorities to cease its oppression of women and ethnic minorities; and
6. Expresses its commitment to promoting gender equality and women’s human rights, empowerment and ending violence against women and girls worldwide.

The Hon. J.S. LEE (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (20:10): On behalf of the Liberal Party, I rise today to speak on this motion.

On this side of the chamber, I would also like to acknowledge my Liberal colleagues, the Hon. Nicola Centofanti, the Hon. Michelle Lensink and the Hon. Laura Curran. We will all show our solidarity and the strong support of the Liberal Party of South Australia for this motion.

The Hon. J.S. LEE (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:57): Today, I rise to speak about the extreme weather events that caused major blackouts and damage across South Australia over the last weekend.

My heart goes out to everyone, every family and every business that has been affected financially and emotionally by the horrible storms and power blackouts.

The SA State Emergency Service reported that over 2,000 requests for flood and storm emergencies were received over a 24-hour period, and they have responded to over 1,000 requests for assistance on the weekend.

I ask Honourable Members of Parliament to join me in placing our sincere gratitude on the public record, to thank and acknowledge the SA State Emergency Service, the South Australian Country Fire Service, the Metropolitan Fire Service, South Australian Power Networks crews and hundreds of amazing volunteers for their tremendous work.