ROYAL ADELAIDE HOSPITAL

The Hon. I.F. EVANS (Davenport) (14:28): My question is to the Treasurer. Treasurer, why did your government mislead the people of South Australia for the whole of the election campaign by claiming the cost of the Royal Adelaide Hospital project was proposed to be $1.7 billion, when the Auditor-General Report reveals that cabinet signed off on the indicative capital cost of $1.8 billion in November 2009?

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Federal/State Relations, Minister for Defence Industries) (14:28): Let's just wait and see—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Treasurer.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Madam Speaker, let's just wait and see what the final cost of the hospital is in—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Treasurer is answering the question, not the opposition.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Let's just wait and see what the price of the hospital is when it comes in, and then we will see.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: We misrepresented nothing.

The Hon. I.F. Evans interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Davenport will restrain himself.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Anyone would know that, with a project of that magnitude, the very best we can do is put out an indicative price.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I do recall, and I am happy to find the words, when the Leader of the Opposition was questioned, I think over their costings on the stadium, she used—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I am very bored, Madam Speaker, very bored.

The SPEAKER: We all are.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Will you listen to the Treasurer, or he can sit down and we will disband question time.

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Isobel, that's really unfair.

The SPEAKER: The Treasurer will refrain from calling people by name.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Madam Speaker, as you know, I have had my wisdom teeth out. One of them is not healing well and it gives me a headache, and their yelling is making my headache worse.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I am on a few things, don't worry about that, but it is still hurting. I just thought I would share that with the house.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: That wasn't even funny. With the drugs I am on, I should be the one laughing and I can tell you that wasn't funny. But, back to the main game, as the Leader of the Opposition said during the campaign: the best you can ever do is have approximate numbers—1.7, 1.8. The point is this—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Norwood, be quiet.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: The reality is that you can—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I am very bored and I am happy to sit down if members opposite do not want to hear me.

The SPEAKER: Treasurer, I suggest you conclude your remarks quickly and sit down because we are getting bored too.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: We will wait and see what the price is when it comes in, and then there will be one of two things: either you will be entitled to attack us or, indeed, we might be entitled to attack you when you see the price.