Correctional Services

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (15:16): My question is to the Minister for Correctional Services: can the minister assure the house that the Department for Correctional Services and/or his office are not investigating or considering the privatisation of any part of the current or future operations of the Port Augusta Prison, Mobilong Prison, Adelaide Remand Centre, or any other prison in South Australia?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (15:16): There is only one political party that at the last election had secret plans for privatisation, and it wasn't us.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: It wasn't us, Mr Speaker. We didn't meet with insurance companies; we didn't meet with a consortium to talk about the privatising of SA Water.

Mr GARDNER: Point of order sir.

The SPEAKER: Yes, the Treasurer is not responsible to the house for the opposition's policy.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: That is true sir. The government has made its views on the privatisation of public assets very clear, and we stand by those pronouncements.