The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: I seek leave to make a brief explanation before addressing a question to the Leader of the Government, representing the Premier, on the Premier's comments about the Dunstan by-election and the Adelaide 500.
Leave granted.
The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: I will also remind the Leader of the Government that I am still waiting for answers to a question on notice I raised in this place about complimentary tickets to the Adelaide 500 for last year's event, so while he may be looking to see who attends the event this week, I am still waiting for those answers well over the due time about who attended last year's events. But I digress. On Tuesday in question time in the other place, when asked about the Adelaide 500, the Premier said, and I quote:
I couldn't help but hear an interjection from the member for Morialta regarding, 'Do the residents of Dunstan like the Adelaide 500 or not?'…The residents of Dunstan had an opportunity to express their view at a by-election in March this year, only two years into the race, and they chose wisely.
While the Premier seems to think that a two-party preferred swing in Dunstan indicated support for the Adelaide 500, it is noteworthy that the Labor primary vote went backwards by 3 per cent in the Dunstan by-election while the Greens vote increased by 5½ per cent, and I note that the Greens and Liberal vote combined totalled over 60 per cent in that Dunstan by-election. Therefore, my questions to the Leader of the Government are:
1. If the Premier thinks a vote for Labor in Dunstan is a vote of confidence in the
Adelaide 500, does the minister accept that the swing to the Greens demonstrates the concern of
those residents in Dunstan?
2. Has the government investigated any potential alternative sites for the Adelaide 500
going forward?
The Hon. R.A. Simms: Hear, hear! Good question.
The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector): I thank the honourable member for her question and I thank her honourable colleague for his gesticulations of support during and after the question. In relation to the Dunstan by-election, certainly there are a whole range of issues that obviously voters take into account when voting. If there was overwhelming non-support for something like the Adelaide 500, it certainly didn't show up in how people exercise their preferences at the end of the day to have a swing towards Labor on a two-party preferred basis.
In relation to the question, 'Are other sites being considered?' my answer is not that I am aware of. I think not just those who participate in the Adelaide 500 race but the tens of thousands of South Australians who attend the Adelaide 500 race enjoy and appreciate the convenience and the atmosphere of it being right in the heart of the city, which is something quite unique to many places around the world. I am not aware that any other location is being considered and I think there is a great deal of fondness for the location for many South Australians.
The PRESIDENT: Supplementary question, the Hon. Ms Franks.
The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: How many of those thousands of participants who attended the Adelaide 500 last year got free tickets from the government?
The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector): I don't have those figures, but if there are figures available I am happy to see if that can be answered.