Water Pricing

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (14:41): I have a supplementary question for the minister. Does the minister now agree with the internationally renowned, highly respected and experienced person in Professor Dick Blandy that, when it comes to city water prices, Adelaide, South Australia has the highest water prices in Australia?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (14:41): Oh, Mr President, how do I resist temptation with that supplementary question? Let me advise the Hon. Mr Brokenshire first of all about the Bureau of Meteorology and his deep scepticism about its abilities.

The Hon. R.L. Brokenshire interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: The reason perhaps the Bureau of Meteorology now has this responsibility is because the federal Liberal government abolished the NWC, the National Water—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: How about answering his question?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Well, I will get to that other question about Mr Dick Blandy. I don't know the gentleman myself, so I can't—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Well, no, I don't know Mr Dick Blandy.

The PRESIDENT: Sit down, minister. I think that it's a bit unfair. The minister seems to be genuinely trying to answer the question. It is not fair that he is being interjected from behind, from the front and from across. I ask that you desist and allow him to finish his answer. Minister.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Thank you, Mr President, for that protection. I sorely needed it, of course; I was being whipped to the bone by the Hon. Mr Brokenshire and his very clever and tricksy questions. I won't be drawn into arguments thrown around by the Hon. Mr Brokenshire about someone I don't know. I don't know whether Mr Blandy has been saying those things he purports. I have come to the view in this place that I should not take as verbatim claims of fact from the Hon. Mr Brokenshire. One needs to be very careful in checking one's sources when that happens, so I will not be tricked into responding to a supposition offered up by the Hon. Mr Brokenshire, because I really do need to find out, in fact, exactly what was said.