Premier rejects MP call to return to Parliament

Friday January 21, 2022

Description:

PREMIER Steven Marshall has dismissed returning to Parliament before the State election. Last week the Premier was delivered a petition by the majority of the State's Legislative Assembly politicians requesting Parliament to be recalled to address the government's handling of Covid-19. "We are only a few weeks away from going into 'caretaker mode'," Mr Marshall said. "My focus is 100 per cent now on listening to the experts in keeping South Australia safe that's going to be my focus and there will be no recall of the Parliament prior to the election." Independent Member for Mount Gambier Troy Bell, who signed the petition, said he was disappointed Steven Marshall had not listened to the message from a majority of South Australian MPs. "It is very significant that from 47 Members of Parliament, 25 deem it in the State's best interest to recall Parliament, but clearly, the Premier is not listening," he said. "Above all, recalling Parliament would have meant greater scrutiny of the government's handling of Covid, as well as the ability to directly raise community concerns, such as the start of the 2022 school year. "I'm a former school teacher myself and I'm fielding call after call from teachers and parents concerned about the Marshall Liberal Government's lack of planning for the return of the school year. "They're concerned about the lack of communication, safety for teachers and students, what process to follow, the lack of rapid antigen tests as well as their ability to work with the threat of being identified as a close contact."