House of Assembly Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2) 53 2 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Generators Generators Ms CHAPMAN House of Assembly Bragg Deputy Leader of the Opposition Generators Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:36): My question is to the Minister for Energy. Is the full cost of leasing and commissioning the nine diesel generators for one year, then buying them and then relocating them to another site, in excess of $400 million? The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly West Torrens Minister for Finance Minister for State Development Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy Generators The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy) (14:36): I know the deputy leader has taken over from the shadow energy minister on this matter. One sentence and a slight overreaction. A bit of advice? Pretend it doesn't hurt. Ms CHAPMAN House of Assembly Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order: I don't know what's hurting for you, but that is unacceptable and I ask him to return to the substance of the question. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: I'm sorry? Ms CHAPMAN House of Assembly Ms CHAPMAN: Demanding that it doesn't hurt, to you, in this chamber, is not acceptable. Mr Marshall House of Assembly Mr Marshall: Unless you are not well, sir. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: I'm not. Ms CHAPMAN House of Assembly Ms CHAPMAN: I would ask him to return or actually start on the subject of the question. The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: As much as I have tried to hurt you over the last 30 years, sir, I have been unable to. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Onwards and upwards. The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: As we said earlier today, the brand-new aeroderivative generators will be the proud property of the South Australian public once again, having our own capacity to generate our own electricity for our own South Australians in times of need. The procurement of those generators is within the budget we have announced. The operation of those generators is within the budget we have announced. I have to say, given that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has already flagged that if they are successful they will privatise these generators, the ink wasn't even dry on the contract and the deputy leader is reaching back into the 1990s. The Hon. J.W. Weatherill House of Assembly The Hon. J.W. Weatherill: After an inquiry. The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: After holding an inquiry— Ms CHAPMAN House of Assembly Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order: it's a very simple question. Has this cost more than $400 million or not? That's the question. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Yes, thank you. Treasurer. The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: They have already announced that after a judicial inquiry into buying a generator they are considering privatising— Ms CHAPMAN House of Assembly Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order, Mr Speaker, again— The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: I have a point myself, but you go first. Ms CHAPMAN House of Assembly Ms CHAPMAN: I am graciously indebted to your allowing me to do that, Mr Speaker. The point of order is obviously relevance and debate. You have just asked him, on the same material, to bring him into order, so I ask— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: You are saying it's irrelevant material? Ms CHAPMAN House of Assembly Ms CHAPMAN: Both—and debate. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: I warn the members for Morialta and Stuart, and I warn the member for Morialta for the second time. If I am not mistaken, I heard the member for Morialta say that the Treasurer was lying to the house. Mr GARDNER House of Assembly Mr GARDNER: I withdraw and apologise. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Good, because in our house we are not allowed to say that one another are lying or liars. An honourable member House of Assembly An honourable member: Even if it's not true? The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: They can do that in the other place, owing to a proceeding there last year. Mr Whetstone interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: I'm sorry, the member for Chaffey, did you have a contribution? Mr WHETSTONE House of Assembly Mr WHETSTONE: I said that the Treasurer can call a member of parliament a racist, but we can't call him a liar. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: No, I distinctly remember naming five opposition members for calling another member a racist and then the member for Chaffey withdrew the allegation that she was a racist and said that she only did racist things, whereupon his naming was revoked, so I don't think he is quite right on that. The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Thank you, sir. It's obvious what is going on here: it's costing season and they are trying to work out how much they can sell these generators for. That's what they are trying to find out—how much can they sell them for? They are addicted to privatisation. Ms CHAPMAN House of Assembly Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order: it's a very simple question. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Point of order, deputy leader. I was just trying to get the Treasurer to complete his gag and then we could rule it out of order. Ms CHAPMAN House of Assembly Ms CHAPMAN: Well, thank you, but— The Hon. J.M. Rankine interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The member for Wright is called to order. Ms CHAPMAN House of Assembly Ms CHAPMAN: I simply ask that you ask the Treasurer to come to the actual question and— The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Let's not have an impromptu speech. The point is that the Treasurer is not being relevant and that he is debating the question. Is the Treasurer finished? The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Yes. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Splendid. Deputy leader, supplementary.