Treasury and Finance Department

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (14:25): Supplementary: can the Treasurer confirm why the commercial and economics branch of the Department of Treasury and Finance received an additional $13.5 million and 15 FTEs in the budget?

Members interjecting:

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:26): The only party that secretly commissioned a scoping study in relation to SA Water was the former Labor government of which the Leader of the Opposition was a member. Not only did they do it secretly, they hid the cost of the actual consultancy so the media and the community would not be able to see the actual fact that the former Labor government was secretly commissioning a scoping study into the sale of SA Water.

The Liberal government hasn't done that. No, it was the Labor government, of which the Hon. Mr Hunter, the Hon. Mr Maher, led by the Hon. Mr Hunter—the Hon. Mr Hunter knew all about it and he kept it secret. He knew all about it but he wouldn't tell them what he was up to. He wanted to keep it secret. He hid it. He was the minister in charge of water. He knew all about it but he slunk away into his dark corner. He slunk away into the slippery dark corner as a minister.

He secretly, together with his colleagues, sought to find the information in relation to how much SA Water would be able to be sold for. He was a part of the government. He was the minister with responsibility in relation to water.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: I can yell just as loud as you lot. I can yell just as loud as you lot, if you are going to be out of order. He was the minister. The Hon. Mr Hunter and the Hon. Mr Maher were members of the government that looked at the privatisation of SA Water.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Hunter, please, restrain yourself.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Hunter, restrain yourself, please.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: The Hon. Mr Hunter—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! I can't hear the minister.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: The Hon. Mr Hunter is squealing like a stuck pig because he has been caught out. We know what he was up to, Mr President. We knew what the Hon. Mr Hunter was up to. He was trying to look at what it was going to be worth. He was part of the government and he was caught out.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: The Hon. Mr Hunter can protest as much as he likes because the evidence is there on the public record. He was a part of the government, he was the minister with responsibility, and he was caught out in relation to the privatisation of SA Water. The Hon. Mr Hunter has been caught out.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: They are rank hypocrites when it comes to the issue of privatisation and outsourcing, because if there was anything that moved, if there was anything that wasn't locked down, they were wanting to sell it off, outsource it, contract it out. Unless it was nailed down they would sell it, they would actually outsource it, they would contract it out, they would privatise it. Unless it was nailed down they would sell the whole lot off. The rank hypocrisy of the Labor Party on privatisation or outsourcing is evident for everyone to see. It is evident for everyone to see.

In relation to the commercial and economics branch, there has been no increase in funding; it's a continuation of former funding that was provided to that particular section of the department which existed under the former government.

The PRESIDENT: Supplementary, Leader of the Opposition.