POLITICAL DONATIONS

The Hon. P.F. CONLON (Elder—Minister for Transport, Minister for Infrastructure, Minister for Energy) (15:36): I apologise to the house that I am not going to deal with something as important as the plastic wraps on newspapers. I will deal with the far more mundane subject of donations to political parties. Today in question time the opposition asked a number of questions in particular about the companies Newport Quays and Urban Construct and implied that there was something colourable about the fact that they do business with the government and also hosted a fundraiser for the government. I have to say that those guys down there are pretty shrewd. My understanding of those fundraisers, incidentally, is they host them and make everyone else come along and pay, so I am not sure how much money actually flows from them. But the implication was that that was colourable.

The opposition went on to ask questions and imply that we accept donations from people who do business in South Australia and occasionally with the state government, and that is highly improper. The truth is that donations to political parties are an ordinary thing, and I am going to deal with this matter. I preface my remarks by saying that when I mention companies I do not imply, as the opposition has implied today, that they have done anything at all improper, but the hypocrisy that we saw today is the suggestion that you should not receive donations from companies you deal with.

I went and grabbed the 2001-02 return for the Liberal Party with the list of donors to the Liberal Party, Mr Speaker. You would, of course, know that Rob Gerard (and Gerard Industries) is very high on that list, and we have said he is free to do so. I know that ETSA Utilities is on that list. Of course, that is the company to which the previous government sold the electricity distribution system. There are lots like that. SkyCity Adelaide bought the casino from the previous government. All those sorts of things are very interesting. Of course, Built Environs I think built a bridge for the previous government. Was it the Berri bridge?

The Hon. K.O. Foley: Yes.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I stress that I am not in the least suggesting that it is improper for these companies to have done this, but let us bell the cat on hypocrisy. Balderstones, of course, (as was Urban Construct) was intimately involved in the Holdfast Shores development and was a donor. But I will mention the most interesting donor I found, Mr Speaker, and members have to bear in mind, as I said in question time, that the deal for Newport Quays at Port Adelaide went to tender under the previous government, some time I think in 2001.

It actually came to the new government in early 2002. It was very interesting to see, and I am reliably advised, that the return of the Liberal Party in 2000-01 as it appears on the AEC's website shows a donation of $15,000 from (shall we guess?) Urban Construct. The 2001-02 return shows a donation dated February 2002 (during the election campaign, when the tender was out) from Urban Construct of $9,500 to the Liberal Party. I defend their right to make donations to political parties as an ordinary part of the political process.

The utter hypocrisy of members of the opposition to suggest that a deal that was let under their government was somehow influenced ex post facto by Newport Quays or Urban Construct running a fundraiser is just complete and utter hypocrisy. They were very happy to run around with their hands out to Urban Construct—and Urban Construct did make donations, I have to say. I do not at all question its honesty, but I do question its judgment.

However, can I assure the Liberal opposition that I think the attack today and previous attacks has probably cured them of making that mistake in the future. The attack today will see this Liberal opposition limping to the next election without the support of any serious business in South Australia. It does not have the support of the populace. What absolute rank, dishonest hypocrisy. The Leader of the Opposition does not have the courage to make the scurrilous claims made in here outside of coward's castle. It is a cowardly way to deal with an issue. I invite him to say those things that he wants to say about me outside. However, that will not happen because, as I have said before—and I say it again—he has a heart like a split pea.