Extreme Weather Conditions

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (14:45): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Climate Change, representing the Minister for Health, a question regarding the extreme weather event of yesterday and the consequences of that event.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE: I think most people in South Australia would acknowledge that yesterday was an extreme event, and we cannot blame the government for the high transmission power poles blowing over. Likewise, the spin that the government has put on the privatisation of ETSA by the former government had nothing whatsoever to do with the traumatic conditions yesterday.

The reality of yesterday was that this government has failed South Australians because it has not delivered on an interconnector that then premier Rann acknowledged and promised to build in 2002, and also, not only did they not build another interconnector but they failed to do anything about power generation. From a macro point of view, major disaster and a bad news story for South Australia that says to businesses looking to come here, 'Are we going to have an electricity supply?'

My questions, therefore, on the micro front are: has the government, particularly the health minister, paid proper attention to power generation backup at all of our hospitals, and can the minister confirm that the Port Augusta hospital yesterday, when the power went out, tried to use its generator, which then failed, potentially putting plasma and other lifesaving products, and also the wellbeing of the patients, at risk?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (14:47): I thank the honourable member for his most hypocritical question, but I can advise, in relation to the detail of it, that he can refer to the ministerial statement made by the Minister for Health in another place, which he probably should read before he stands up here and asks a question. But, what an utter act of hypocrisy on behalf of the Hon. Mr Brokenshire. This bloke, this honourable member, was a member of the Liberal government that stopped the interconnector being built to New South Wales in the first place.

The Hon. Rob Lucas, trying to maximise the amount of money he got from privatising ETSA, stopped the interconnector to New South Wales being built, and you were part of that government, you were part of that decision-making, and here he is coming in here, the biggest hypocrite, after the Hon. David Ridgway, in this chamber. Goodness gracious me! What hide has this bloke? He has more front than John Martin's, this bloke—he has got more front than John Martin's! I can tell you—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! We don't want a six-way debate here. The honourable minister is trying to answer the question; allow him that right.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I can tell you that this bloke has more front than bloody John Martin's. It is incredible to me that he could stand up in here and ask a question about the interconnector and make that sort of impassioned plea for its being built. He was part of the government that stopped it being built. He was part of the failed Liberal government that stopped that interconnector being built. The Hon. Robert Lucas over there was the one who took the decision, because he wanted to maximise the sale, the privatisation, of the state's assets of ETSA.