HOSPITAL PARKING

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite) (15:01): My question is to the Treasurer. Was the cabinet submission from the Minister for Health dated 21 September 2011 noting the government's intention to sell multideck metropolitan hospital car parks brought to him as Treasurer at any point prior to the submission's consideration in cabinet and was he present at the cabinet meeting at which it was discussed?

The Treasurer stands by his comments made on 24 April that government plans to sell hospital car parks were, in his own words, 'not something which have been brought to me'. Yesterday, the Treasurer told the house that the cabinet submission to which I am referring was 'not a cabinet submission about selling car parks', but the cabinet submission deals with an initiative approved in 2010-11 to 'increase revenue through charging of staff and the public by $16.8 million over two years prior to the sale of multideck car parks in 2012-13'. The cabinet submission then goes on to state a figure of $90 million of estimated income from the sale in that locked submission.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Treasurer, Minister for Workers Rehabilitation, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (15:03): Well, I am not going to make a habit of commenting on what is or isn't put before cabinet, but it is the usual process for Treasury, prior to cabinet, to brief the Treasurer on all matters that go before cabinet. I am not going to talk about what does or does not happen in cabinet other than to say what is the normal practice, and that is for the Treasurer to be given an opportunity to be briefed on any cabinet submissions by Treasury prior to cabinet.