Question Time

HomeStart Finance

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:37): My supplementary is to the Treasurer. Will he unequivocally rule out the sale of HomeStart?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (14:37): I am not going to play the rule-out game with the opposition, other than to say that I value the work that HomeStart do. When I was minister for housing and urban development, I was the minister responsible for HomeStart. I had a very good relationship with the board. I think they do excellent work. They make a good return for government. They provide a good service for South Australians. I think they do an exceptional job. I have exceptional confidence in Mr Jim Kouts, who is the new presiding member of the HomeStart board. I think he will do an exceptional job over the next years in running HomeStart. Again, I say to the opposition: judge us on what we do. Cabinet is entitled to make decisions. The government did not decide, and has not privatised HomeStart.