House of Assembly Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1) 53 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Privatisation Privatisation Mr MARSHALL House of Assembly Dunstan Leader of the Opposition Privatisation Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:22): Supplementary, sir: is the Premier saying that the Motor Accident Commission is not a significant state asset? The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL House of Assembly Cheltenham Premier Privatisation The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:22): It is not a significant state function. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Will the Premier be seated. Mr Marshall interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Will the Leader of the Opposition be seated. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The leader is warned for the second and final time for that flailing display, and the Treasurer is warned a second and final time for imitating that display, and the Minister for Health and the member for Kaurna are called to order for imitating that display. Mr MARSHALL House of Assembly Mr MARSHALL: Supplementary, sir. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: No, the Premier hasn't finished. The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL House of Assembly The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Let's just go through this carefully in case there is any dispute about this. We had a very clear pledge. We set them all out, the television cameras took pictures of us—it's all online, they are set out there in black and white—about the commitments we made in relation to privatisation. We chose our words very carefully because the truth is that there are often assets that are disposed of by government for the— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The member for Schubert is warned, and the member for Mitchell is called to order. The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL House of Assembly The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: There are often assets, quite substantial ones, that we sell from time to time which allow us to gain the revenue that is necessary to apply to other purposes, and it was always our intention to explore those matters. But we will not expose the South Australian community to the price gouging that would occur if a private sector operator was running such a crucial utility such as our water utility. Members interjecting: The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL House of Assembly The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: For those opposite who represent country regions, all of that windfall that you are talking about that somehow was sloshing around in the state coffers, the lion's share of it goes to subsidise country people to ensure that they get the same price of the delivery of water as people in the metropolitan area; that is where most of the money goes. The other lion's share of it goes to subsidising pensioners. I can wager a bet. I don't think you are going to get a private sector operator that is going to provide that level of cross-subsidy to people in the community who cannot bear the burden of accepting the full cost of the delivery of water. That is a responsibility the state government does and we are prepared to accept that responsibility. That is why, just like with the privatisation of ETSA, where all of the burden falls on those who can least afford it, they wanted to privatise SA Water. We ruled it out. Mr MARSHALL House of Assembly Mr MARSHALL: A supplementary, sir. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Before the supplementary is asked, the member for Mount Gambier is called to order and warned a first time. The member for Heysen is called to order. The member for Morialta is warned a first time and so is the member for Hartley. I remind the Treasurer that he is on two warnings. If his lips move outside standing orders, he will have to leave the chamber. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: And I will consult the opposition as to sentencing should that happen.