WATER PRICING

Mr WILLIAMS (MacKillop—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:37): My question again is to the Premier. What price increases can SA Water customers expect on top of a 32 per cent price increase occurring this day after revelations that the water security commissioner knew before the election that the commonwealth expected a reduction in SA Water's River Murray take in return for their $228 million contribution towards the desalination plant? The government either faces an additional cost of $228 million or running the desalination plant more often to make up for reduced pumping from the River Murray. Both cases will require additional revenue to recoup the additional costs.

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton—Minister for Environment and Conservation, Minister for the River Murray, Minister for Water) (14:38): I thank the twice failed candidate for the deputy leadership and now successful candidate for the deputy leadership—the Steven Bradbury of South Australian opposition politics.

Mr Pengilly interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: Not at all; we communicate.

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: It was 4.2. The South Australian government has been transparent about the price increase—

Mr Goldsworthy interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the member for Kavel!

The Hon. P. CAICA: —in respect of water over the next several years. We have done so on the basis that we have the most significant infrastructure project that has been undertaken in South Australia, the $1.8 billion desal plant. Of course, the reason that we have built that desal plant is to secure water supplies that are independent of climatic change and rainfall. With respect to the deputy leader's question, we have been transparent about water prices. I have said, and I will say again, that we are in discussions and continue to be in discussions at the political level with the commonwealth in respect of reducing our reliance on the River Murray, as opposed to the—

Mr Williams interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: The only weasel in here is a person who decides to lay a bit of crap on people without going outside—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P. CAICA: What I would say, Madam Speaker, is that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has ample girth but no intestinal fortitude, otherwise he would go out there.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: Yes, Marty was at least a person of his conviction. We are in discussions with the commonwealth, and they will be ongoing with respect to reducing our reliance on the River Murray. I can tell members that the commitment that was given by the commonwealth with respect to the funding of $228 million, in addition to the $100 million to transfer, or, if you like, change, our desalination plant from a 50 gigalitre capacity to a 100 gigalitre capacity, was based on the fact that we would supply electricity, renewable energy, to that; that we would reduce our reliance on the River Murray and, of course, we are working through that. I am very confident—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: How long did it take?

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: It took her four minutes.

The Hon. P. CAICA: Four minutes. We were saying earlier, Madam Speaker, that it was exceptionally quiet before the member for Bragg got in here. It took four minutes to hear her shrill comments across—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: That is a record, isn't it? Four minutes. We will continue to discuss this matter with the commonwealth to get a satisfactory outcome, an outcome that is satisfactory to the people of South Australia. Unlike the opposition, which would probably suggest that we go over and give someone a headlock or, indeed, sit on them, or whatever it might be, we will do it in a mature way because we are a government that can work in a mature way with the commonwealth government.