GlobeLink

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (14:55): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Treasurer a question about GlobeLink.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.E. HANSON: In a recording from the budget lock-up, the Treasurer is reported as saying:

Well it's not going to happen in the short term because we are funding $20 million in the short term in the next four years for the business case for GlobeLink. Our commitment was to undertake the business case for the master plan, and it has to be a successful business plan. So ultimately it's going to have to pass the business case test, it will have to be assessed by Infrastructure South Australia and if it's successful there because clearly if it's to go ahead, if the business case says it's a tick and if it's to go ahead then it's going to need significant commonwealth government investment in the project. So there are some significant hurdles to cross yet, this is just three of the major ones.

Will the Treasurer confirm that one of the Liberal's flagship election commitments is contingent on a positive business case as well as commonwealth funding, and therefore may not go ahead?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:56): I am happy to confirm that, as we announced in our policy document prior to the election, the GlobeLink proposal had to go through various proposals. It had to go through Infrastructure SA and Infrastructure Australia, and interlinked with Infrastructure Australia was obviously potentially a multibillion-dollar commitment from the commonwealth government to help fund it. I am happy to confirm, as we did quite clearly prior to the election, that there needs to be a successful business case, and that would obviously require an agreement from the commonwealth government for GlobeLink to proceed.