ZOOS SA

The Hon. I.F. EVANS (Davenport) (14:56): My question is to the Treasurer. When the government announced its zoo bailout package on 14 November last year, why did the Treasurer say, 'Zoos SA will not have to repay $2.3 million already brought forward from 2012-13,' when, last Friday, he said, 'I did emphatically make clear in all my public statements that the money that we'd been giving them...were drawdowns from later financial years?' Which is it, Treasurer?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Treasurer, Minister for Workers Rehabilitation, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (14:56): Up to the moment of the financial settlement in November, the government's position was that any payments made to the zoo were drawdowns from future financial years.

The Hon. I.F. Evans: At what stage?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: At every stage up to the announcement of the financial settlement, whenever it was. It was in November, but I can't remember the particular day. Every payment that had been made to the zoo up to that point was a drawdown from a future financial year. As a—

The Hon. I.F. Evans interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Hang on, listen to me. Then, when we made the financial settlement in November, one of the conditions of the settlement was the money that they had been paid up to that point for that financial year didn't have to be repaid.