The South Australian Political Landscape

[CK]

DEPUTY Opposition Leader Mitch Williams has played down speculation about his position despite internal party disquiet about questioning in Parliament to Transport Services Minister Chloe Fox over sex charges levelled at her father.

In Question Time yesterday, Mr Williams asked Ms Fox if she had absented herself from Cabinet discussions over changes to suppression laws applying to people on sex charges.

AdelaideNow has learnt several Liberals approached Ms Fox to apologise yesterday after the question.

One Liberal source said the tactic had seriously damaged Mr Williams and they would be “surprised and gobsmacked” if he were able to last as deputy leader until the next election.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 6203690143

To be very kind - one of the grubbier moments in Parliament in the last 12 months, and that is saying something. An unnecessary question, in terms of much of the motive behind it - point scoring by dragging family into things.

[fish]

DEPUTY Opposition Leader Mitch Williams has played down speculation about his position despite internal party disquiet about questioning in Parliament to Transport Services Minister Chloe Fox over sex charges levelled at her father.

In Question Time yesterday, Mr Williams asked Ms Fox if she had absented herself from Cabinet discussions over changes to suppression laws applying to people on sex charges.

AdelaideNow has learnt several Liberals approached Ms Fox to apologise yesterday after the question.

One Liberal source said the tactic had seriously damaged Mr Williams and they would be “surprised and gobsmacked” if he were able to last as deputy leader until the next election.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 6203690143

To be very kind - one of the grubbier moments in Parliament in the last 12 months, and that is saying something. An unnecessary question, in terms of much of the motive behind it - point scoring by dragging family into things.

The state opposition is woeful, failing to gain much traction despite the government having been on the nose for years...

[dedja]

Wow, that's pathetic ... is there no line to cross anymore?

[Jimmy_041]

Not sure which bright spark thought that one up

He probably wont get the chop coz they dont have anyone else better.

I still think Fox is very lucky to not be eating bread, water and "Mrs Fox" every day.

Trevor Grimwood might use that decision to argue his case

[southee]

Wow, that's pathetic ... is there no line to cross anymore?

No...its dog eat dog out there!!

[fish]

Wow, that's pathetic ... is there no line to cross anymore?

No...its dog eat dog out there!!

Dog eat Fox in this case.

[dedja]

speaking of scandals ... how is Peter Lewis going these days?

[ca]

I actually don't think it was that bad a question. I think that's politics and that is something Fox is going to have to live with being in the public eye.

I have sat through a fair bit of Parliament this week but missed this question. I thought Bignell made some ordinary comments about Chapman in another exchange. It amazes me how politicians can sit there during question time reading the paper, reading a novel and in one case doing a crossword.

One thing is for sure, with a few exceptions both sides of politics are lacking quality personell at the moment. I don't think the Liberals can win an election with Redmond up the front but I also think there are a couple of strong performers holding up some fairly poor performers on the Government side.

[Sojourner]

Fox got away with it did he not?

[CK]

Fox got away with it did he not?

Malcolm Fox walked free.

Chloe Fox was never on trial, so bringing her into it, on Williams' part is grubby, IMHO.

In football terms, it would be akin to an oppoosition coach asking Gold Coast's Nathan Bock in a press conference, whether he felt that laws on drug possession and manufacture were appropriate. Just not on, IMHO.

[smac]

Fox got away with it did he not?

Malcolm Fox walked free.

Chloe Fox was never on trial, so bringing her into it, on Williams' part is grubby, IMHO.

In football terms, it would be akin to an oppoosition coach asking Gold Coast's Nathan Bock in a press conference, whether he felt that laws on drug possession and manufacture were appropriate. Just not on, IMHO.

Except Nathan Bock has no involvement in the setting of such laws. I get where you are coming from and agree that it's a poor question (does Chloe Fox endorse such crimes? I doubt it). Analogy doesn't quite fit though.

[fish]

Williams to stay - for now anyway

DEPUTY Opposition Leader Mitch Williams will not be dumped over his questioning of Transport Services Minister Chloe Fox about sex charges levelled at her father.

Opposition Leader Isobel Redmond said yesterday she fully supported her deputy despite internal unrest.

Mr Williams' question was about whether Ms Fox had absented herself from Cabinet talks over suppression laws banning identification of accused sex criminals.

Ms Fox’s father, Malcolm Fox, was found guilty of sex charges relating to a person under 18 and given a suspended sentence.

Ms Fox said she had not voted on the matter. It is understood Ms Fox was later approached by several Liberals apologising for the question and expressing dismay it had been asked.

It drew jeers from Labor members who branded Mr Williams a grub and Speaker Lyn Breuer advised Ms Fox she need not answer the question.

Several Liberal sources yesterday told The Advertiser they were concerned by the question and believed the party should avoid "getting into the gutter" to attack the State Government.

One Liberal source said the incident had damaged Mr Williams' already thin support within the party and they would be "surprised and gobsmacked" if he survived as deputy until the next election. It is understood the question was penned in a pre-question time strategy meeting including the Opposition Leader.

[Gozu]

STATE Liberal MP Michael Pengilly has threatened to "bury" some of his colleagues in Parliament if the party turns against him, as further concerns surface about his behaviour.

Mr Pengilly came under fire this week after referring to Prime Minister Julia Gillard as a "real dog", but complaints were made about him using similar language in 2008 when he referred to former Kangaroo Island mayor Jackie Kelly as a "dead dog walking".

The Advertiser can also reveal that:

ALLEGATIONS of an assault by Mr Pengilly were brought to the attention of party leaders before the last election and were raised by Opposition Leader Isobel Redmond in 2009.

FOUR councils in Mr Pengilly's regional seat of Finniss held a formal meeting with Ms Redmond to raise concerns about his dealings with the councils.

LIBERAL Party strategists are considering "cutting loose" Mr Pengilly before the next election to allow for new blood in the blue-ribbon seat.

CONFLICT between Mr Pengilly and former Kangaroo Island chief executive Carmel Noon was a key factor in her being released from her contract early.

Several sources have told The Advertiser that Kangaroo Island mayor Jayne Bates has also complained to the Liberal Party about inappropriate text messages sent to her by Mr Pengilly.

Ms Bates has refused to confirm or deny the allegation.

Mr Pengilly has reacted angrily to speculation he may lose preselection to make way for Adelaide barrister Joshua Teague, and refused to rule out running against the party as an independent.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/liberal-m ... 6204867352

[dedja]

Pengilly is of no consequence to anyone ... he has little support in the party room and I doubt the electorate gives a toss about him.

Go on mate, run as an independent, you're not going to worry anyone with that idle 'threat'.

As for Mitch Williams, you should give it up too, you're not cut out to be a serious politician ... give someone else a go.

[Sky Pilot]

can anyone tell me why we are still paying the "Save the river Murray levy" ?
I don't think we have saved it yet and now Tony Burke has weighed into the problem so all should be fixed by the Feds by - er, next week or in the New Year at the latest

[Q.]

can anyone tell me why we are still paying the "Save the river Murray levy" ?
I don't think we have saved it yet and now Tony Burke has weighed into the problem so all should be fixed by the Feds by - er, next week or in the New Year at the latest

Probably because the $10-Billion plan is entirely insufficient.

[Sky Pilot]

Like the present State government, totally insufficient

[Sojourner]

can anyone tell me why we are still paying the "Save the river Murray levy" ?

While we are about it, can anyone tell me why under national management only South Australians have to pay the Save the Murray Levy and not residents of New South Wales or Victoria?

[GWW]

Its a farce, but I doubt we'd ever hear anything from the Opposition about it, because - and I stand corrected - I think it was the Liberals who first introduced this levy, umm, I mean tax.

[Psyber]

can anyone tell me why we are still paying the "Save the river Murray levy" ?
I don't think we have saved it yet and now Tony Burke has weighed into the problem so all should be fixed by the Feds by - er, next week or in the New Year at the latest

Professor Mike Young, Chair of the Uni of Adelaide's Environment Institute, says that trying to save the flow down the Murray is a dead horse.
He says that to get an extra 1000 megalitres down to the Coorong 10,000 would have to be sacrificed at the upper end due to natural losses during the flow.
The economic damage from sacrificing that much water to the natural losses would be huge at a national level.

So, should we bite the bullet and open the Coorong to the sea before it becomes even more hyper-saline?

In the meantime the levy is to fund the political posturing.