Legislative Council Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2) 53 2 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Environmental Liabilities Environmental Liabilities The Hon. R.I. LUCAS Legislative Council Environmental Liabilities The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:05): Thank you, Mr President. I am surprised the minister didn't refer to today's Advertiser rather than yesterday's. My supplementary question to the minister is: I am not asking for cabinet confidentiality, but have any assurances been provided to potential bidders in the government's letter which was part of the information memorandum in relation to environmental liabilities at the Arrium site? The Hon. I.K. HUNTER Legislative Council Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change Environmental Liabilities The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (15:06): The article stated: Simmering public anger at ETSA's long-ago privatisation is revealed as the major source of public blame for soaring power prices in an exclusive Advertiser poll…The exclusive Galaxy poll of 869 respondents also revealed only 18 per cent blamed high power prices on insufficient high-voltage connections…Mr Koutsantonis in July— Members interjecting: The Hon. I.K. HUNTER Legislative Council The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I can read the whole article— Members interjecting: The Hon. I.K. HUNTER Legislative Council The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Well, here we are with the hubris of the Liberal Party. They see a poll in the paper and they think, 'You beauty. We won't have to do anything. We just have to go and badger the Electoral Commission's Boundaries Commission to give us two or three free seats in the redistribution. That's what we want. We don't want to have to work for it. We don't want to have to go out to the community and campaign and talk to people about why they should support the Liberal Party.' They go and badger the independent Boundaries Commission and say, 'Give us free seats. Make Labor seats into Liberal seats, because quite frankly we are hopeless jokes.' The Liberal Party— Members interjecting: The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: Order! The minister and the Hon. Mr Stephens are totally disrespectful to be screaming at each other across the chamber when the minister is trying to answer a question, so desist. Minister. The Hon. I.K. HUNTER Legislative Council The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: The Liberal Party in this state is a bunch of losers. They have been losing every year consistently and now they have to go begging or badgering the independent Boundaries Commission, saying, 'Please make three more seats Liberal seats. Take them away from Labor because we are hopeless and useless at campaigning.' It is no wonder, when you see headlines like this. South Australians will not forget that you privatised ETSA. You privatised ETSA. You drove up electricity prices. They will punish you, because— Members interjecting: The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. I.K. HUNTER Legislative Council The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: —the bloke who privatised ETSA is still on your benches. Members interjecting: The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Stephens, from where I am sitting your behaviour is very undignified. I don't take any pleasure in telling you this. Please desist from that behaviour. You might not like hearing what the minister has to say, but he is answering a question. Minister, continue with your answer. The Hon. I.K. HUNTER Legislative Council The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I will just finish by saying this. The environmental liability that is the Hon. Rob Lucas will hang around the neck of the Liberal Party until he leaves this place.