Legislative Council Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3) 51 3 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Government Contracts, Probity GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS, PROBITY The Hon. R.I. LUCAS Legislative Council GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS, PROBITY The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:03): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Leader of the Government a question about probity guidelines applying to major government bidding contracts. Leave granted. The Hon. R.I. LUCAS Legislative Council The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: On Monday 22 September this year, the Rann government announced, immediately after a cabinet decision, the names of three successful companies who were shortlisted for the $1.1 billion desalination plant project. Those companies were Addwater, Water First and Adelaide Aqua. The Rann government also announced that there were strict probity guidelines applying to processes such as this and to everyone involved in the processes, including obviously the final decision-makers: the ministers in the cabinet. My question to the Leader of the Government is: did the probity guidelines that applied to the process for shortlisting bidders for the $1.1 billion desalination project prevent individual Rann government ministers from attending fundraising functions organised by the fundraising arm of the Labor Party (SA Progressive Business) and hosted by companies associated with one of the successful bidders? The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY Legislative Council Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (15:05): I will refer that question to the relevant minister responsible for the letting of those contracts and bring back a response. I do know that this government has set in place strict guidelines, and we all know why that happened. I am sure everybody here remembers what happened, and I refer to the water outsourcing contract back in the 1990s. Remember the debacle over that when there were late bids and all that sort of thing? As I said, following what happened in those days, the government has strict guidelines. The responsibility for this matter is the relevant minister, and I will refer the question to him.