PUBLIC SERVICE CUTS

The Hon. I.F. EVANS (Davenport) (15:04): My question is to the Minister for Emergency Services and Minister for Police. Does the minister agree with Treasurer Snelling's comments last week that former treasurer Foley made a mistake regarding cuts to public sector entitlements for public servants including those in the minister's own department. I quote from Treasurer Snelling: 'We made a mistake. We freely admit that.'

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Treasurer, Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education) (15:04): That decision was not a decision of one person: it was a decision of the entire cabinet. The entire cabinet went into that with its eyes open. We made the decision. I very well remember—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: I very well remember the discussion around the cabinet table at the time. It was a difficult decision. It was not one that sat easily with any of us, and it is a decision that, upon reflection, the entire cabinet has made a decision that we will not proceed with it. This is not something about one person. This is about the cabinet as a whole coming to a collective decision that we should not proceed with that particular savings measure because it was going to have an adverse impact on the lowest-income public sector workers.