FORESTRYSA

The Hon. I.F. EVANS (Davenport) (14:53): My question is to the Minister for Forests.

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I warn the Leader of the Opposition.

The Hon. I.F. EVANS: Does the minister stand by his comments made last week following a forestry stakeholder meeting in the South-East, and reported in local media, regarding the sale of the state's forests? He said:

We've made our decision, it's the reason we've retained our AAA credit rating and that's the fact of the matter.

The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN (Napier—Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for the Northern Suburbs) (14:54): Thanks for the question. If you go back to the 2008-09 Mid-Year Budget Review, page 11, Reducing Net Debt, ForestrySA, it was stated that the government intends to explore a range of options for the up-front sale of ForestrySA harvests—

The Hon. I.F. Evans: Do you stand by your promise?

The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN: Yes, I do; so that is very specific. We have that very much encapsulated in the review. Then there is a media statement from the Treasurer following that dated 19 December, in which he said, 'This is purely the up-front sale of the timber—nothing more.' That is fairly plain, isn't it? Then we go to Budget Paper 3 for this year: 'A significant improvement in net lending is forecast in 2011-12, mainly reflecting'—and I will miss out half the sentence because it refers to another asset—'and the proposed sale of ForestrySA assets'. Very, very plain: 'Proceeds from the sale of ForestrySA's harvests have not been disclosed so as to avoid prejudicing the sales process.' That is very, very plain, and that is backed up in my statement. I think my statement is flawless and basically accords with—

An honourable member: Flawless?

The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN: Yes.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN: Well, it effectively is.