SA Water

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:45): My question is to the Premier. Will you continue to deny that the Labor Party has considered privatising parts of SA Water now that it has been confirmed that it was discussed with agencies outside of Treasury?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (14:46): Judge us on what we do.

Ms Redmond interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, member for Heysen!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: We have just had a budget in June. If the government was going to privatise SA Water, you do it at the beginning of the term, you don't do it at the end of the term. I have to say that we went to the election with a commitment not to privatise SA Water, and we won't.

Ms Sanderson interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Adelaide is called to order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: We won't privatise SA Water because we believe in the public ownership of our assets. We do not—

Mr Gardner interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Morialta is—

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —believe in privatising essential assets like SA Water.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Sit down. The member for Morialta is warned for the first time. Just because the Speaker is not here does not mean we will not be using the scorecard. Members are asked to behave and listen to the answer. Treasurer, have you finished?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: No, I haven't.

An honourable member interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: His answer.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Madam Deputy Speaker, can I just say what an exceptional job you are doing in chairing the parliament today. There seems to have been a dramatic improvement, and I can feel it changing! Mr Speaker, welcome back. You have been missed—and the opposition were saying horrible things about you in your absence, sir.

We will not be privatising SA Water. The government and Treasury conduct all sorts of studies—as they should. In the end, it is up to the policymakers to make a decision. We stand by our decisions. We stand by not privatising SA Water because we socialise the profits of SA Water and put them back into our communities, back towards pensioners, back towards postage stamp pricing for water, back into our hospitals, schools and roads, and back into the budget. If you privatise these assets, those profits are socialised overseas and abroad for shareholders.