DESALINATION PLANT

The Hon. I.F. EVANS (Davenport) (14:40): My question is to the Treasurer. Does the government still have any observers on SA Water's board and, if so, when did the Treasurer become aware that the desal plant was to be mothballed from 2015?

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton—Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:40): Yes, we continue to have an observer on SA Water's board.

The Hon. I.F. Evans: From Treasury.

The Hon. P. CAICA: From Treasury, that is correct. And the second part of your question?

An honourable member: When did the Treasurer become aware?

The Hon. P. CAICA: The Treasurer—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: No, no, I don't. The Treasurer is—

The Hon. I.F. Evans interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P. CAICA: The Treasurer is fully aware of the circumstances regarding any decision or otherwise to operate the desalination plant in standby mode. Quite simply, this is quite an ironic series of questioning because, again, it has been—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P. CAICA: Sorry, I meant to say 'moronic', Madam Speaker. I have had a slip of the tongue.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr GARDNER: Point of order, Madam Speaker. The minister is clearly debating.

The SPEAKER: No. Minister, back to the question.

The Hon. P. CAICA: In fact, quite simply, the Treasurer is fully aware of this, too, as I am sure those members opposite who were part of the Public Works Committee when Mr Pisoni, the member for Unley, posed a question to Mr Ringham, who was not the CE at that stage, but this was back in 2008, so it has been around for a long while. When questions were asked regarding how the—

Mrs REDMOND: Point of order, Madam Speaker: standing order 98, the relevance of the minister's answer as well as debate.

The SPEAKER: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition, but at this stage I am waiting to hear what the minister has to say. I am hoping that it does relate to the question.

The Hon. P. CAICA: The question was about whether or not you would shut down the desalination plant for an extended period. Just to summarise the answers there, it would be totally dependent upon that water available in the traditional climatically dependent catchment. It has been—what I am saying is that people on this side read the paper on 22 January—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: Well, the question you posed earlier was about the regulatory statement.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr GARDNER: Point of order, Madam Speaker. The question was when the Treasurer was going to be aware that the plant was going to be mothballed from 2015. You are going nowhere near the subject.

The SPEAKER: Thank you. There is no point of order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P. CAICA: Quite simply, it was raised by the Premier earlier: no decision has been made not to operate it in 2015. What they are saying and we have said is that the modelling is indicating that perhaps it might not be used, but no decision has been made. Decisions will be made at a time when accurate information is available. We all know that—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P. CAICA: They are a shambles, Madam Speaker, I agree. If we have good winter rains and reservoirs are full, we will operate the plant at a capacity—well, we wouldn't operate it then at all, and that is what we have said.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: No, the point I am making is this: we on this side are fully aware of the circumstances that have been public information for an extended period of time as to when we will operate the desalination plant. It is a point that the member for Unley, the member for Finniss, in asking a similar question—would you shut down the desalination plant for an extended period? You would recall the member for Finniss asking that particular question in November 2008, which even preceded the article in the—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Point of order, Madam Speaker. The minister must respond to the substance of the question and that is: when did the Premier become aware?

An honourable member interjecting:

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Sorry, when did the Treasurer become aware?

The SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Stuart. You can sit down.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: So I ask you to direct him back to that.

The SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Stuart. You can sit down. The minister does not have to answer. As long as the answer relates to the general subject of the question, the ministers can answer as they choose.

The Hon. P. CAICA: Yes, Madam Speaker, I will. Just to finish off, quoting the words of Mr Ringham, 'Shutting down plants is nothing unusual.' Well, the Treasurer is fully aware of that for an extended period of time.

Mr PENGILLY: Point of order. If the minister could turn around and face the mic, I really can't understand a word he's saying.

The SPEAKER: Thank you. I am not sure what your point of order is. Minister, I think you have finished your answer. The member for Light.