Mr DULUK (Waite) (11:00):

Can I just begin by congratulating the member for Colton on bringing forward this, his first private member's motion and obviously a motion he has a lot of knowledge of and involvement with through his participation in the Commonwealth Games and the Paralympics as well as being one of South Australia's great Paralympians and champions. So congratulations to the member for Colton for his initiative in this motion.

Mr DULUK (Waite) (16:37):

Thank you very much, Deputy Speaker, and congratulations on your appointment as Chairman of Committees, sir. It is an honour to serve in this parliament as the new Liberal member for Waite and only the third person to represent this seat in this parliament. I come here today encouraged by the support from my electorate and determined to represent the interests of my community with integrity, energy and renewed optimism for our state's future. I thank the large number of volunteers who supported my campaign over many months of grassroots campaigning and community engagement, giving their time and effort to a range of activities that underpinned our ultimate success on election day.

Mr DULUK (Davenport) (15:51): It is hard to believe that there are only 27 sleeps until Christmas and 34 sleeps until the new year. The days, the weeks and the months—and even the years—pass so quickly. It is almost three years since I was elected to parliament and had the privilege and pleasure of joining you, Deputy Speaker, and other colleagues in this place. Like many people, I find myself at this time of the year reflecting on the year that has passed and looking forward into the future for what may come. The end of 2017 also brings the end of this term of parliament and it is an opportunity for me to reflect not just on the year but on my time as a member of the 53rd parliament.

Mr DULUK (Davenport) (15:06): I rise today to speak about the Autism Intervention Program at Blackwood Primary School and Blackwood High School. Autism SA reports that autism, and related disorders, is the most common primary disability across all NDIS trial sites, representing one-third of participants nationally. Growth in diagnosis in South Australia has been a consistent trend for many years, with Autism SA's 2015-16 annual report noting that there were 1,195 new diagnoses in the state during this period, representing a nearly 10 per cent increase on the previous year.

Mr DULUK (Davenport) (11:46): I begin by putting on the record my congratulations to the member for Bright on his hard work in this policy development on this side of the house. I know that he will make a fantastic and very diligent minister for the environment in a future Liberal government. This is about the vision that we are seeing here on this side of the house, and this is how you make good policy that is in the public interest because you do what is right for the people of South Australia. As I said, I would like to make a few comments about the importance of open space and the importance of open space in providing liveable communities in South Australia.

Mr DULUK (Davenport) (15:19): Today, I rise to speak on a very important issue in my community, and that is about being bushfire ready. In 2016, South Australia experienced its wettest winter. In 2017, many parts of the state have experienced below average rainfall. As we head into the 2017-18 bushfire season, the combination of an abundant growth of fine fuel caused by last year's rain and reduced moisture this year has resulted in many areas of above normal fire potential.

Mr DULUK (Davenport) (16:19): I rise today to acknowledge, with great sadness and respect, the passing of Dr Bob Coulthard AM. Dr Bob was truly an extraordinary man. The tributes that have flown from across Australia and around the globe are testament to the overwhelming respect and love for Dr Bob and recognition for his considerable achievements. In their tribute, Lions Australia notes:

Mr DULUK (Davenport) (20:46): I also rise to speak on the Statutes Amendment (Vehicle Inspections and South Eastern Freeway Offences) Bill 2017. As does everyone in this house, I welcome pragmatic measures to improve road safety. We are all too often faced with the tragic aftermath of road trauma for individuals, families, friends, first responders, emergency service personnel and the whole community. Anything we can do to reduce the number of accidents is certainly supported by those of us on this side of the house.

I recently posted my Mid Year 2017 Community Newsletter to every household in our local area.

In case you missed it, here is the digital version.