UNITED WATER

Mr GRIFFITHS (Goyder—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:12): My question is to the Treasurer: when did the government become aware of the dispute between SA Water and United Water about its charges under the contract and when did it advise the Auditor-General?

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Federal/State Relations) (15:12): My guess is that we became aware of it when we were told back in 2006—whoever the minister of the day was or shortly thereafter. I said yesterday in my ministerial statement that the government has been in dispute with United Water since the second pricing review, whenever that commenced. That is what I said in my statement yesterday.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I do not know. The Auditor-General, I assume, would have been made aware of it along the way. This has been going on for some three years. I would find it impossible to believe that the Auditor-General would not be aware of a dispute that has been going on for three years

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: And for that matter it is not really his job; his job is to audit the accounts.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: The Auditor-General audits the financial accounts on a year-by-year basis after the accounts. We have told the Auditor-General specifically of our decision to take this matter to court. In fact, I asked for that to occur some few weeks or months ago, or whenever that time line was, to make sure—

Mr Griffiths interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! If the deputy leader has other questions I am happy to give him the call.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Give him a ring and ask him.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I will ask that question. I think that I asked the Under Treasurer, Jim Wright, to ensure that the Auditor-General was appropriately told where we were in this dispute. As I said, I would be very surprised if the Auditor-General was not aware of the dispute, given that it has been going on for so long, but I will ask the Under Treasurer if Simon O'Neill was surprised.

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson: Or astonished.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Or astonished. I will come back to the house with a reflection on that, but I do not see what the great mystery is here. All the way through this, we have done this appropriately, but can I say that this is the first question that I think the shadow finance minister has asked me.

An honourable member: Treasurer!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Sorry, shadow treasurer. Each morning when I wake up I am getting attacked by the shadow treasurer Rob Lucas. He is on the radio each and every morning whacking into me.

Mr GRIFFITHS: On a point of order, Mr Speaker, my question was quite specific and the Treasurer is talking about many things other than what I asked him.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I will add a little bit to it, if I may, sir. This is a very important matter—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Well, it's a mistake by a former Liberal government. We are cleaning up the mess. I love the fresh look of the opposition, but they have gone back to the future with the shadow treasurer Rob Lucas, who was the guy sitting around the table when this whole thing was signed.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Deputy Premier is now debating.