SUSTAINABLE BUDGET COMMISSION

The Hon. I.F. EVANS (Davenport) (14:57): My question is to the Treasurer. How much more than $50,000 was the cost of the consultancy given to Ferrier Hodgson to investigate the leaking of the documentation relating to the Sustainable Budget Commission Review, and how is this not a conflict of interest, where Mr Carter is the managing partner of Ferrier Hodgson and was a member of the Sustainable Budget Commission?

The Treasury and Finance annual report tabled yesterday by the Treasurer shows that Ferrier Hodgson was given a consultancy of more than $50,000 to investigate the leaking of the documentation relating to the Sustainable Budget Commission Review.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Treasurer, Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education, Minister for Workers Rehabilitation) (14:57): Those matters pre-date my time as Treasurer. I am not intimately familiar with them, but I have absolute and complete confidence that any conflict of interest issues would have been—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: —addressed, and due diligence would have been done to make sure that there was no apparent or real conflict of interest.