Thank you to everyone who attended my campaign launch on the weekend. We had a huge turnout, with many people signing up to help out during the campaign. That help is greatly appreciated. (Stay tuned for photos from the day).

Nick Xenophon spoke at the launch and had this to say:

“It’s crucial that Kris Hanna is re-elected as the Independent Member for Mitchell. Not only is he a great local member, he also keeps the Government accountable on a whole range of issues, whether it’s water, pokies, health or transport.

“I’ve known Kris for many years and he is a tireless worker for his local community and is much needed in Parliament.”

Happy new year! The state election is just a couple of months away and one of the big issues will be whether to renovate the old RAH or build a new hospital. Late last year, I surveyed residents of the inner southern suburbs over this issue and the results were surprising.

The results show that 63% of voters want to keep the old RAH where it is. Many people are unhappy with the location and cost of the proposed hospital.

The Rann Government has completely underestimated the community’s opposition to building a new RAH on the old rail yards. It is strange they have not sold the case for a new hospital, despite being masters of public relations and spin.

I’ve become a hospital change sceptic.

While Labor have tried to make it look like a done deal, there has been no binding commitment to build a new hospital for Adelaide. So far we have had very little detail from the Government, apart from glossy press releases. With up to $2 billion of taxpayers’ money at stake in one of the biggest projects the city has ever seen, I think the people of SA deserve a proper accountable explanation.

Unless there is a really good case made to spend this money, the message is clear from my constituents. They want me to oppose the new hospital. Before we spend any more money, we need an inquiry to reveal the real cost of the various proposals, and to find out what will actually provide the best value for South Australia.

I’m calling for a Commission of Inquiry into Labor and Liberal proposals to build or rebuild the Royal Adelaide Hospital. The Commission would have the same powers as a Royal Commission, such as the power to summon witnesses and view confidential documents.

The Commission would be headed by a retired judge, with a committee made up of a doctor, an engineer, an architect and a health administrator. The committee should be selected from qualified people who have never been involved in the debate – possibly from interstate.

Are Tasers Necessary?

At the request of the Commissioner of Police, the State Government agreed to provide $2.4 million to buy 300 tasers to be carried in all police patrol cars. SAPOL conducted a six-month trial of the electronic control devices, and say they are effective for dealing with armed offenders.

SAPOL says officers will be provided with eight-hour training courses in how to use tasers, and attached cameras will record their use, which will be reviewed by senior police.

Personal issue to police officers will be considered in the future, dependent upon satisfactory use of the new tasers.

I remain highly sceptical about the need for these devices and will closely monitor their use.

Maralinga Land Returned to the Maralinga Tjarutja

I supported legislation to return 3,000 square kilometres of land north-west of Ceduna to its traditional owners - the Maralinga Tjarutja people. The Government says the land, which was the site of nuclear testing from 1953 to 1963, is said to have been remediated.
There are many tourism opportunities for the Maralinga Township, with the original village still in existence. There will be funding for an interpretive centre and a caravan park accommodation facility may be available.

Parliament’s Last Three Days of Debate

Parliament will sit for three days this week, leaving only three days of debate until about may 2010. Meanwhile, Labor stifles debate on non-Government proposals by continually adjourning. As a result, many issues will be adjourned until next year or even dropped altogether. One item shelved is the proposal for an Independent Commission against Corruption.

Conflicts of interest and dodgy contracts. See the story I did with Today Tonight by clicking here.

The Government’s Desalination Pipeline Project has left residents of five Sheidow Park homes exposed to the noise and pollution of the Lonsdale Highway.

A thick belt of decades-old Pine and Gum trees were removed from a section between the homes and the highway to make way for the desalination pipe. These trees previously acted as a barrier to highway traffic noise and pollution.

In return, residents have been offered potted trees instead of the barrier wall they had reasonably requested as compensation. The construction company admit the trees acted as a visual barrier, but deny noise attenuation!

Residents say their $400,000+ homes have been devalued and their back yards ruined. To add insult to injury, residents received letters from the construction company offering replacement fences instead of a wall.

The residents’ treatment has been nothing short of outrageous.

I spoke personally to the Minister for Water Security, Karlene Maywald and met with senior managers from SA Water and the Department of Transport. Neither SA Water nor DTEI were willing to bend on the issue.

I am calling on the Minister to personally intervene in this decision.

There is a basic principle at stake here: if the Government wants to go and off and build a pipeline, residents shouldn’t be made worse off by the project – especially when a two-metre wall would offer an easy solution.

In Parliament yesterday, I moved amendments to the Government’s Correctional Services legislation. The amendments were agreed to by the Government.

This will put an end to the automatic early release of prisoners with a head sentence of less than five years.

Currently, prisoners in for less than five years are automatically released after serving just two years – even if they misbehave in prison or act violently.

My amendments ensure that all violent offenders must now face the Parole Board before being given an early release back into the community.

I first raised this issue in Parliament in November last year, and the Government has finally come around to accepting community concerns about the early release of violent offenders.

I welcome the Government’s acceptance of my amendments, which will help ensure greater justice for victims and make prisoners more accountable.

Reynella Primary School parents have voted to reject a State Government plan to move the school’s music program.

The parents met with school principal Steve Freeman and Governing Council Chairperson Amanda Carne last night, voting to reject the plan outright and write letters of opposition to Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith.

I attended the meeting and was told that DECS created the plan without any direct consultation with the school’s principal, leadership team, music students or their families.

Under the plan, 45 music students at Reynella Primary School will have to travel out of their way to attend their lessons.

Who is supposed to drive these students to and from Reynella East High School? Most parents work during the day and can’t afford to take the time off.

DECS wants to take away the school’s program and operate the program for eight different schools out of Reynella East High School.

The schools expected to travel are Reynella Primary School, Happy Valley Primary School, Braeview Primary School, Reynella South Primary School, Woodcroft Primary School, Coorara Primary School and Hackham East Primary School.

DECS should supply music programs to all of the schools that want them AT their own schools, especially if those schools already have successful programs in place like Reynella Primary School has.

Let the four music teachers spend a day at each school. Doesn’t this make more sense than moving hundreds of children?

I introduced a Bill in Parliament today to help stop addiction to gambling (poker) machines.

The insidious thing about this form of gambling is the way the machines are designed to promote addiction.

Free spins and unbalanced reels are giving people the false impression that they are close to a win, so they keep pumping more and more money into the machines – even though their chances of winning don’t change.

My proposed law would change the way these machines are programmed. It would force the owners to get rid of free spins, and will limit the betting to 20 cents a line or 60 cents a spin. At the moment people can throw away more than $200 a minute.

I’m also proposing a display every half hour to show gamblers how much they lost, asking them if they really want to continue. It gives people a cause to pause.

The Bill will get rid of the crooked system of unbalanced reels. Every reel will have to have the same probability for each symbol. Most gamblers don’t realise they are being tricked because they assume that all reels are the same. At the moment they need not be.

Above all, my proposal would make it mandatory to keep to the National Guidelines to which stakeholders have agreed. At present machines are being approved by our Gambling Commissioner that don’t meet these guidelines!

Hundreds of Adelaide families a year are affected by problem gambling. In some cases pokie addicts resort to selling the family home or turn to crime to fund their addiction. I call on the Government to support these measures to reduce the harm being done.