LOTTERIES COMMISSION OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

The Hon. I.F. EVANS (Davenport) (14:38): My question is to the Premier. Is the Premier's broken promise that he is now privatising the Lotteries Commission, having previously—

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Point of order, Madam Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Order! Point of order. Minister for Transport.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Standing order 97: it plainly contains argument.

The SPEAKER: Yes, I uphold that point of order. Can you be careful about your question?

The Hon. I.F. EVANS: I will reword the question to try and keep the Minister for Energy happy. Is the Premier's promise that he is no longer keeping, that he would not privatise the Lotteries Commission but now he is going to privatise the Lotteries Commission—

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Point of order, Madam Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Maybe he needs a break to rewrite the question, but that is, again, argument.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. I.F. EVANS: Madam Speaker, the leader of the opposition said in 2001 that he would not be privatising the Lotteries Commission.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I ask you—if you would like to hear it again—to rule that when he says 'that he was not going to privatise and now has' is argument; it is pure argument.

The SPEAKER: It is argument. I would ask you to perhaps reword your question and be careful about it. I am sure you—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. I.F. EVANS: But, Madam Speaker, it has been announced in the budget.

The SPEAKER: Order! A person of your experience in this place understands that we do not have questions that involve argument, so I would ask you to seriously look at your question. I am sure you can do it very quickly there now.

The Hon. I.F. EVANS: I will ask it this way, Madam Speaker: is the Premier's promise to privatise the Lotteries Commission an example of why members of his own party believe the public is no longer listening to the government's message? The Premier promised as opposition leader on 15 June—

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Point of order, Madam Speaker. The argument that still exists in the question is accusing the Premier of privatising the Lotteries Commission. That is a matter of argument.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Premier, you wish to answer it without his completing the question.

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (14:40): No.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!