Nyrstar Transformation Project

Mr WINGARD (Mitchell) (15:06): My question is to the Minister for Regional Development. Can the minister tell the house the number of local jobs that have been created for the people in Port Pirie through the Nyrstar Transformation Project, and how many local producers and businesses are supplying the project and camp?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy) (15:07): We will get an exact number for the member, but I pose this question in response to his question: how many jobs—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: It's nearly over. You can spend time on the backbench and I'll comfort you when they sack you.

Mr GARDNER: This is clearly debate. He is on two warnings. He is defying your earlier rulings for him not to do that anymore.

The SPEAKER: The member for Morialta is very close to departing himself for an impromptu speech. Minister.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Thank you, sir. I suppose the real question is: how many jobs would have been lost in Port Pirie? What would Port Pirie's future have been had the member for Frome not intervened and worked with the government to come up with a solution?

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Yes. The people of Port Pirie were abandoned by the commonwealth government, like the people of Elizabeth were with General Motors Holden; and, of course, on 2 July they will remember why that occurred. The member for Frome's intervention has seen a record level of investment in Port Pirie. There are cranes across the skyline, there are people employed, working. There is a long-term future—

The Hon. J.M. Rankine interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Wright is called to order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —for that community. I have to say that, in my many, many travels there, Port Pirie is an optimistic, forward-looking community. You know that its best days are ahead of it, not behind it, and the reason for that is because of the work that the member for Frome, with his community, has done in advocating on behalf of his community to make sure that they get an investment in Port Pirie, because the alternative, quite frankly, would have been devastating.

It would have been devastating for the Upper Spencer Gulf and devastating for Port Pirie and, quite frankly, the cost to the state government and the commonwealth government of the clean-up, remediation and social costs had we not intervened would have been traumatic for all taxpayers.

Mr Marshall: What you are doing for Arrium?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The Leader of the Opposition yells out, 'What are you doing for Arrium?' Well, Mr Speaker—

Mr Marshall: All talk, talk, talk.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: And he says, 'It's all talk, talk, talk.' Well, the Prime Minister doesn't seem to think so. He has written a letter to the Premier thanking him for his cooperation, but yet again the Leader of the Opposition is out there on his own with no allies and no policy. He is simply the highest paid whinger in South Australia. He is paid a massive government salary just to whinge and complain.

Mr GARDNER: Point of order, sir.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: It's getting embarrassing.

The SPEAKER: Point of order.

Mr GARDNER: In debating this, the minister continues to defy your ruling, despite the fact he is on two warnings.

The SPEAKER: Despite the froideur between myself and the member for Morialta, I will uphold that point of order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Sir, I think it's legitimate for the opposition to question the government on its policies. I think it's legitimate. What is not legitimate is when the opposition have no alternative policies of their own to critique against ours.