Numeric Plate Auction

Mr FULBROOK (Playford) (15:07): My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Can the minister update the house on the numeric plate 8 auction?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (15:07): I can. Eight is my lucky number. Born in August, my parents obviously had a good time at Christmas.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Too much? August is an auspicious month for a lot of communities and a lot of cultures and the number 8 historic plate is actually up for auction now. There has been a lot of speculation about what this would sell for.

Just to give you some background, Lloyds auctioned the New South Wales numeric plate number 1 and the Queensland plate Q1, and the public auctions of those two plates generated massive interest across the country. In New South Wales the number 1 historic plate sold for $11½ million. The great thing about these numeric plates here in South Australia is they are, in effect, a property right. So when you purchase them from the South Australian government in these auctions, they are yours to keep and sell and they are exclusive.

The Queensland one, the Q1 plate, sold for $5.6 million—staggering amounts of money. A fortnight ago we announced that the rare piece of South Australian automotive history is up for grabs, to a lucky person, hopefully a South Australian, but it doesn't need to be a South Australian, and it of course is number 8.

Interestingly, guess who texted me interested in this? Sally Zou. I think she is reading the tea leaves. She knows. She knows her old friends aren't what they used to be. I assured her that the influence that she had in the previous government, the way she got it, was not necessary on this side of the house. On this side of the house, we just believe in good government, not like members opposite. There were no cheques written out on my birthday. It is important to know that. Currently—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: What's that? Are you making a submission?

Mr Teague: It was just cash—125 grand. That was just cash, was it?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Who gave you cash?

Mr Teague: 125 grand from the CFMEU—that wasn't a cheque; it was just cash.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: We gave our money back to the CFMEU. We returned it. Did you return Sally Zou's money?

Mr Teague: It took you about a year.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Did you? Did you return that money? You didn't, and do you know why? And that's why you're not an SC. You raise an argument, and you don't know where it finishes. Hey, I'm just a JP. I'm not as qualified as you, despite what your peers say.

The number 8 already has reached—wait for it—$1.1 million. That is in the range of an SC. An SC could afford a $1.1 million plate—not a JP, an SC. Experts have told me that the '8' number will have a preference as a digital code because of its luck, its symmetry and what it represents to many cultures. I can also report that a number of other plates have gone up as well for auction.

Mr Teague interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: It really is a thing of beauty: if you mention the SC thing, he goes off. Have you noticed? It's amazing.

The bid for number 55 currently is just over $222,000. These are a great opportunity to have a piece of South Australian memorabilia, and I hope South Australians can snap them up.