Gillman Land Sale

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:02): I will go to another question completely, if I am accepted; he will not answer that. My question is to—

The Hon. T.R. Kenyon interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Newland is warned.

Ms CHAPMAN: I will ask a question of the Treasurer. Now that the Treasurer has had two weeks to investigate whether Treasury officials advised the government to sell the land at Gillman or not via an open tender process, did the Treasurer confirm whether this has been the case?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (15:02): Regardless of any advice Treasury may or may not have given me or whoever the treasurer was at the time, cabinet has made a decision and collectively we agree with that decision. One of the principles—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: This is my answer. One of the principles of our system of government is that the cabinet is the decision-making body which oversees how these decisions are made. The government can at any time choose to sell a piece of land without going to tender or through an unsolicited bid—

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order, Mr Speaker. Perhaps the Treasurer is misunderstanding, but I asked the Treasurer two weeks ago whether he was aware of any advice that had been given by any other officials to Treasury in respect of the advice on the Gillman land nothing to do with cabinet decisions at all, and he indicated that he would get that answer.

The SPEAKER: Yes—

Ms CHAPMAN: So I am asking the Treasurer—

The SPEAKER: Has he got the answer? Yes, okay. We've got that.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Cabinet is the decision-making body and any advice that is sought by any minister goes to cabinet. So, if Treasury advice was sought, if a costing comment was sought, if the personal opinions of Treasury officials were sought or given, they go to the cabinet.

Mr Pengilly interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: That is the process. Cabinet is a body that sits above the executive, for the benefit of the member for Finniss who will never sit on a cabinet, and that process is the supreme decision-making body of the government. When we make decisions, it goes to Executive Council for endorsement by the Crown. If that advice, whatever it is, is sent to the cabinet, the cabinet is within its rights to accept or refuse that advice. It is not for the Treasury, or any other agency, to sit above the cabinet process. They are simply there to inform us.