Electricity Generation

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (14:59): My question is to the Premier. Why did the Premier's department mislead parliament's Budget and Finance Committee on 24 July by giving evidence that sites for the diesel generators had not been finalised when a notice in yesterday's Government Gazette reveals that by 3 July, at the latest, the government had decided to install the generators at the Lonsdale and GMH Elizabeth sites?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy) (14:59): First and foremost, I think any accusation of misleading is probably disruptive without a substantive motion, but in answering—

The SPEAKER: Well, no, that's as against members of the house.

Mr Marshall: How long have you been here?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: A lot longer than you.

The Hon. J.M. Rankine interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Wright will be quiet and she is called to order. The Iraqi information minister that the health minister was looking for was Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: At the time those comments were made to the estimates committee, the final contracts had not been signed.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Point of order: can I read the question again for the minister?

The SPEAKER: No, there seems to be no doubt what the question was.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I signed the final contracts, I think, the night before we announced, which is well after those comments were made, so there was no final decision made until, I am advised, the contracts were signed because the government could have decided on another option.