Legislative Council Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1) 54 1 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Privatisation Privatisation The Hon. K.J. MAHER Legislative Council Leader of the Opposition Privatisation The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:36): Further supplementary: in the Treasurer's view, is the current operation of the Modbury Hospital an outsourcing, a commercialisation or a privatisation? And if the Treasurer doesn't know, he can just say, 'I will look at a dictionary,' which is fine. The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: That's a supplementary; I've allowed the supplementary. Commentary— The Hon. K.J. Maher Legislative Council The Hon. K.J. Maher: He might not have a clue; he hasn't for the last two. The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: Leader of the Opposition! The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting: The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: Leader of the Opposition, commentary seated does not please the President. Treasurer. The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting: The Hon. K.J. Maher Legislative Council The Hon. K.J. Maher: Ridgway giving you advice? How's that for irony? Taking advice from Ridgway? The Hon. R.I. LUCAS Legislative Council The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:37): Mr President, I'm indebted to my colleagues for any advice I get. I need all the help I can get. This is a very difficult job, and I look forward to the assistance from my colleagues both on the front bench and as members of my party room. I am indebted to them for the frequent advice that they give me. In relation to all of the issues, we can spend the rest of question time going, 'What is this one? What is that one?' Let me answer the question. The Hon. K.J. Maher Legislative Council The Hon. K.J. Maher: If you know; just say if you know. The Hon. R.I. LUCAS Legislative Council The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Well, I can make it quite clear, Mr President. Under the former Labor government— The Hon. K.J. Maher Legislative Council The Hon. K.J. Maher: You don't know. The Hon. R.I. LUCAS Legislative Council The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Under the former Labor government— The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting: The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: Leader of the Opposition, please! Just let the Treasurer answer. The Hon. R.I. LUCAS Legislative Council The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Mr President, under the former Labor government— The Hon. K.J. Maher Legislative Council The Hon. K.J. Maher: He doesn't know. The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: Well, we won't know, Leader of the Opposition, if you don't allow him to speak. The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting: The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: Leader of the Opposition, let's just hear what the Treasurer has to say. The Hon. R.I. LUCAS Legislative Council The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Under the former Labor government, in the health sector, the transport sector, but in the health sector is the most recent question the Leader of the Opposition has asked, there have been a number of examples where services have been contracted out or outsourced to the private sector. The government of which the Leader of the Opposition was a member, in any number of examples, outsourced the operations. I invite the honourable Leader of the Opposition to go and have a look at some of the major contracts that were written in relation to facilities management, hotel services, within the health sector, under his former Labor government. They were outsourced to private sector operators—decisions of the government of which the Leader of the Opposition was a member. He loyally put his hand up in cabinet every second week and supported outsourcing or commercialising models for the provision of services in health, in transport, in education, right across the board. All we are doing is more of the same.