Coober Pedy District Council

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:58): Supplementary: given that the local government minister has now served notice on the District Council of Coober Pedy, is the minister still prepared to underwrite the power contract when it goes online next month?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy) (14:58): First and foremost, we made an election commitment to maintain pricing standards in Coober Pedy. We will honour that election commitment. Second of all, it's important to note that I have also, on recommendation of the Minister for Local Government, referred the Coober Pedy council to the Auditor-General.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Yes, but I actually have a statutory function and you don't. My direction has a little bit more weight than the Deputy Leader of the Opposition's.

Ms Chapman: It's actually a power of this parliament, not you; you might remember that.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: It sounds like someone who wants higher office. It sounds like someone who thinks perhaps the stature of deputy leader isn't quite of her standing and that there is something a bit more desirable. It sounds like a woman on the move.

The SPEAKER: The Treasurer will be seated. The Treasurer fecundates the intellectual life of the government, but that's quite enough. He is called to order. Treasurer.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: We have referred Coober Pedy council to the Auditor-General on the recommendation of my agency. Of course, we guarantee diesel supplies to the Coober Pedy council, and all the advice I received from my agencies was that the arrangement that Coober Pedy council entered into of its own volition will be of course quite beneficial. If there is alternative advice to that, I made it quite clear to the council that it was their decision; they could choose to enter or not enter this arrangement. It was a matter for them, and they acted autonomously and entered into that arrangement. If the council felt that it was not appropriate for them, they didn't have to enter into the arrangement.