Question Time

Kerin, Dr Paul

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (16:49): My question is to the Premier. Does the Premier agree with the comments made by the Treasurer yesterday that former CEO of ESCOSA, Dr Paul Kerin, resigned as a political statement following today's revelations that both Professor Dick Blandy and Barbara Rajkowska also resigned as board members of ESCOSA due to the government's water pricing regime?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (16:49): People are entitled to exercise political points of view. No-one is stopping them. In fact, given the remarks of Mr Kerin in his letter about somehow the independence of ESCOSA had been trampled, given their comments publicly, I fail to see how. How has this government in any way impeded the independence of that regulatory body? Why is it that somehow retired or resigned board members have greater powers now to speak out than they did when they were on the board? No-one would have stopped them. They are an independent body.

They have made political assumptions and political statements and they are upset at the election of this government. They are entitled to be. It is a free country. People are allowed to speak out. People are allowed to exercise political opinion through resignation, as you have witnessed with one of your former leaders resigning and causing a by-election, because you lost the election. He is exercising political expression, as is the member for Waite who exercised political expression. People are entitled to exercise political expression through the media, through letters or through resignations, and I expect it is not to be the last.