GLENSIDE HOSPITAL REDEVELOPMENT

Mr PISONI (Unley) (14:30): I have a supplementary question. Has a contract been entered into, guaranteeing the sale of land to Commercial Retail Group?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON (Elder—Minister for Transport, Minister for Infrastructure, Minister for Energy) (14:30): The issue with the Chapleys—can I say that the Chapleys are a small part of this, but they have been, in my view, remarkably patient. From memory, this goes back to an arrangement the department of transport (under, I think, Di Laidlaw) wanted with the Chapleys in regard to some land there. Basically, what the opposition complains about in this regard is that we intend to keep a promise it made in government—a promise I would have thought that it was entirely proper should be kept. To Mr Steve Condous MP (of blessed memory, as the Attorney would put it), member for Colton:

Dear Steve,

I refer to your letter regarding the Glenside Hospital wall.

I have recently visited the site and decided to support the request of Chapley Nominees Pty Ltd to purchase portion of the Glenside Hospital site—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Well, you don't seem to remember it, do you? No, you don't. You don't seem to remember it. I do note you have some other friends you prefer to run supermarkets than the Chapleys—

and demolish the small remaining section of the wall…I have notified the Minister for Human Services of this decision.

It will now be necessary for Chapley Nominees to negotiate the sale with Crown Lands SA of my Department and to obtain development approval for the proposal.

Can I say—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: —I think when the government—

The Hon. J.D. Hill: You didn't say who signed the letter.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Sorry—'Iain Evans, Minister for Environment and Heritage.' I think that—

Mr Williams interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: For the benefit of the rather slow member for MacKillop, I will give you the relevant sentence:

I have recently visited the site and decided to support the request of Chapley Nominees Pty Ltd to purchase portion of the Glenside Hospital site…

The Hon. I.F. Evans: How big a portion?

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I'm sorry; you didn't set that out. It may have been the position—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I will release this one for you. You can have it. It may well be the position of the previous Liberal government that you tell people one thing and do another, and we know that is their position. I remember so well the deputy premier before the 1997 election, 'We will not sell ETSA, full stop, full stop, full stop.'

It may well have been the practice of the former government to say one thing and do another, but that is not what we do. In fact, we believe that if a business in South Australia, acting in good faith, came to an arrangement with the previous government, then that arrangement should be honoured because that is what honourable people do. I hope not to hear any more on this, but can I say this—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: —if the opposition wants to keep standing up and saying, 'Why don't you govern like we would have?' we are going to say, 'We are going to keep acting honourably.'