Electricity Generation

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (14:42): Supplementary: just to help the minister with answering the question, if I may I will quote from Hansard yesterday:

…on what date did the government decide to use Lonsdale and Elizabeth as the site for the installation of the diesel generators?

That was the question I asked, and the minister's answer was:

When the government signed the final contracts, which would have been the night before we made the announcement…

And that was 31 July.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy) (14:43): I think my answers are entirely consistent. The point I am making is that, had the government not signed the contract, which is entirely within its purview not to, the locations wouldn't have been finalised. You can't locate something—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I won't be warning the leader again; I will be acting.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I think my answers cover it. I am not trying to be difficult to the shadow minister. What I am attempting to tell him is that ultimately nothing is finalised until we sign the final contract. Preparatory work is preparatory work in anticipation of a final decision. It is very different from the final decision.