State Major Bank Levy

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:25): Just a question to the Treasurer: in view of his recently stated ministerial statement to the house, will he be urging the Premier to immediately withdraw his allegations that the banks are money launderers to organised crime and terrorist groups?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy) (14:25): They are not his allegations: they are the allegations of an independent commonwealth office, AUSTRAC. AUSTRAC have 53,000 charges, 53,000 accusations of breaches of—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Okay, as I was trying to say yesterday, the ACCC and other independent bodies at one stage or another over the last few years have investigated all four major banks. Currently, one of the largest banks in Australia that just posted a $9.9 billion profit is, wait for it, facing 53,000 allegations of breaching anti-money laundering and antiterrorism provisions under commonwealth statutes. I have to say—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Members opposite say it's the same as an internal report. I have to say there is a fundamental difference between a bank saying that we are uninvestable and then piling in—

Members interjecting:

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

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —$1.6 billion into South Australia when they have been telling people on TV that no-one would invest here, other than Elon Musk, other than Sanjeev Gupta, and now other than three of the five major banks subject to the major bank levy. I also point out to the house that, in all the bids for the commercialisation of the Lands Titles Office, all the banks subject to the major bank levy were part of offers to be part of this commercialisation, putting to a lie their adverts that they would never invest in South Australia again.