Question Time

SA Water

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:06): I seek leave to make an explanation prior to directing a question to the Minister for Water on the subject of privatisation.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Members will be aware that, for some time, the minister has claimed in this house and elsewhere that he as minister and that his government opposed privatisation. I will put aside the issues of forests and the Lotteries Commission for the moment. Amongst many statements, the minister in this place, for example, accused the state Liberals when he said:

They—

that is, the state Liberals—

…would also be happy to carve up SA Water. This is their plan: 'No privatisation of SA Water but we will not tell you what we are going to do with the assets.' This is privatisation by stealth, and this state government will not let it happen.

On a number of other occasions, Mr President, as I am sure you are aware, the minister has made it clear that he and the Labor government were opposed to privatisation.

The Under Treasurer, when questioned on this particular issue recently and asked about whether or not the state Labor government had actually commissioned high-price consultants to do a scoping study on the sale of some SA Water assets said that he was, and I quote, 'unable to talk about matters which had been part of cabinet consideration'. I repeat that: he was unable to talk about matters which had been part of cabinet consideration.

Mr President, can I inform you and other members that the Under Treasurer did concede, when asked questions about whether or not consultants had been appointed to look at HomeStart, firstly, that there had been a scoping study, and then was prepared to indicate that cabinet had considered the scoping study and rejected the privatisation or sale of any HomeStart assets; that is, the Under Treasurer did not say that he was, and I quote, 'unable to talk about a matter which had been part of cabinet consideration'. My questions to the minister are:

1. Will the minister now confirm that, prior to the last state election, the South Australian Labor government—or, as he likes to call it, the Jay Weatherill government—had appointed consultants to do scoping studies on the possible sale of some SA Water assets?

2. When were you, minister, first advised that the South Australian government had appointed consultants to do a scoping study on the possible sale of some SA Water assets?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (15:08): Let me say at the outset that the Hon. Mr Lucas has a habit and a history of verballing people in this place. He comes in here making accusations and allegations which turn out to be, of course, quite erroneous. He has the predilection for, shall we say—we won't go there.

Let me just say this: we all know his form about fitting people up with quotes that he ascribes to people. I have no idea what the Under Treasurer may have said in an interview, but I certainly will not accept the Hon. Mr Lucas's word for what that might be. The Hon. Mr Lucas will remember, from a long, long time ago when he was in government, that Treasury do a lot of work and serve it up to cabinet, and it's up to cabinet to determine what it's going to do with those recommendations.

And the truth is this: it was the Liberal opposition that had plans to privatise SA Water. It was not the Labor government's plan to privatise SA Water and we said that at the election. Whatever is put up to cabinet, it is up to what cabinet decides is important and what cabinet decides is that we will not be privatising the assets of essential services—

The Hon. R.I. Lucas interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Lucas, could you let him finish the question, then you can ask a supplementary question. The Hon. Mr Hunter.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: The Hon. Mr Lucas knows full well that the government has made a clear distinction between essential community services and other services provided by government, such as the Lotteries Commission, for example, which he raises. The crucial aspect is that this is an essential service for our community and the Labor government said at the election we will not be privatising SA Water. They would not be drawn on it.