HomeStart Finance

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:37): My question is to the Minister for Housing and Urban Development. Has the minister's department requested or commenced preparing any reports or recommendations in respect to the sale of HomeStart Finance?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy) (14:38): What the opposition are attempting to do—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I am answering the question. What the opposition—

The SPEAKER: Point of order.

Mr PISONI: An answer that starts with 'what the opposition are attempting to do' is debate.

The SPEAKER: It would be debate if it continued. The Treasurer.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: These hypothetical questions have been answered in the public domain. This opposition has a bit of form in being lazy.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley.

Mr PISONI: Debate, sir.

The SPEAKER: I will listen carefully to how the Treasurer fills his four minutes.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. This opposition has form.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I am waiting for the Treasurer to have an opportunity to say more than one sentence and I would appreciate it if the member for Unley would give him that opportunity. Perhaps there is a subordinate clause. The Treasurer.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The opposition have attempted to aerate this within the media. The government's view is very, very clear: we don't answer hypothetical questions. What we will do is have our statement in the budget. We will make our announcements in the budget; but they have form—they have form.

Mr Marshall: Answer the question.

Mr GARDNER: Point of order, sir.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: You're the ones moving points of order.

The SPEAKER: Could the Treasurer either move on from the opposition having form or give up.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I have answered the question.

The SPEAKER: Member for Elder.