Legislative Council Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1) 54 1 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Telstra Job Losses Telstra Job Losses The Hon. K.J. MAHER Legislative Council Leader of the Opposition Telstra Job Losses The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:50): Supplementary arising from the original answer: when was the Treasurer himself or the government first advised of the Telstra job losses, and has the Treasurer himself or the government spoken to anyone from Telstra or the union representing Telstra workers? The Hon. R.I. LUCAS Legislative Council Treasurer Telstra Job Losses The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:51): I was first advised this morning, when there was a public statement that was made. There may well have been an email contact from representatives of Telstra to either the Premier's office or to parts of the government just prior to the public announcement today. However, I thought that some weeks ago—and I am going on memory and will have to check this—this issue of Telstra downsizing had been raised publicly. I don't know whether it was by way of a leak, a prerelease or an early indication. I have to check the records, but some of the issues that were raised today—though not the specific numbers—I seem to recall having been raised a few weeks ago, because I think I might have been asked at that stage by sections of the media to respond to what the impact would be on South Australia at that particular time. I am happy to check the record on that. In relation to the formal announcement today, I only became aware of it this morning after I came out of a meeting. In relation to whether there have been discussions: yes, the Premier had a discussion with a senior representative of Telstra around lunchtime today to try to seek further information about impacts in South Australia and what Telstra's approach might be. I sat in on part of that, or most of that, telephone conversation. The information I shared in relation to what the job impact numbers might be in South Australia—having put the question to Telstra, it was again the response that, at that stage, they hadn't actually looked at what the breakdowns were and what the regional impacts might be in South Australia or the other states and territories.