House of Assembly Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3) 51 3 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Heatwave HEATWAVE Mr WILLIAMS House of Assembly MacKillop HEATWAVE Mr WILLIAMS (MacKillop) (15:40): My question is to the Minister for Transport, the Minister for Energy and the Minister for Infrastructure. Minister, were you, your office or your acting colleague told in advance of the media release advising South Australians that they should turn off their air conditioners last week? The Transport, Energy and Infrastructure Department's Energy Division's press release said that residents should close curtains and use portable or ceiling fans instead of air conditioners during the heatwave last week. The Hon. P.F. CONLON House of Assembly Elder Minister for Transport Minister for Infrastructure Minister for Energy HEATWAVE The Hon. P.F. CONLON (Elder—Minister for Transport, Minister for Infrastructure, Minister for Energy) (15:40): I cannot tell you who knows without checking but I can tell the honourable member my understanding of what occurred. My understanding is that this was something it does annually according to a timetable. Mr Pisoni interjecting: The Hon. P.F. CONLON House of Assembly The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I am answering the questions, mate, so, if you have got one in a minute— The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. P.F. CONLON House of Assembly The Hon. P.F. CONLON: There they go, sir. They just want to keep telling lies because they cannot do anything else. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The minister will resume his seat for a moment. Members will calm down. The member for Unley is warned. The Hon. P.F. CONLON House of Assembly The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I will say this: I was not on a fishing holiday—nor was I mincing down the red carpet while I was dropping seats back home! The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. P.F. CONLON House of Assembly The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I was not mincing down the red carpet in New York while I was dropping seats back home, either! The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The minister will get to the question, please. The Hon. J.D. Hill interjecting: The Hon. P.F. CONLON House of Assembly The Hon. P.F. CONLON: No, Kevin was not dropping seats back home. An honourable member interjecting: The Hon. P.F. CONLON House of Assembly The Hon. P.F. CONLON: He was not on the red carpet, either. I do not think he tried to pull those strings. My understanding is that this message is put out annually, and they picked an unfortunate time to do it. The Hon. M.J. Atkinson House of Assembly The Hon. M.J. Atkinson: It wasn't a serious error, was it? The Hon. P.F. CONLON House of Assembly The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I don't think it is falling under a bus. I don't think it is a major error. I have to say that I love this major error test. Don't worry, she'll tell you what the major error was once you've done it! I can tell members what Iain's major error was—that was trusting her! The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. P.F. CONLON House of Assembly The Hon. P.F. CONLON: The dream team! The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The deputy leader. Ms CHAPMAN House of Assembly Ms CHAPMAN: The question was clearly as to the minister's knowledge of a press statement of the department. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The minister will answer the substance of the question. The Hon. P.F. CONLON House of Assembly The Hon. P.F. CONLON: It is a bit rich, though, to get constant interjections off the subject and then insist that I should stick to it. Anyway, I will try not to make any more major or minor errors. The Hon. K.O. Foley House of Assembly The Hon. K.O. Foley: Watch that bus! The Hon. P.F. CONLON House of Assembly The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I'll stay away from buses! My understanding is that the department generates these annually. Can I say that they did a marvellous job at other things during this period when things started becoming difficult. I will say that I think it was unfortunate timing. It was not in any way, as I understand it, intended to relate to the period of the heat: it is simply something that is put out in summer. Ms Chapman interjecting: The Hon. P.F. CONLON House of Assembly The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Gosh, she's inane, she really is—got a voice like a power tool. There is not really much more to it than that.