GlobeLink

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (14:41): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Trade and Investment regarding GlobeLink.

Leave granted.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: Yesterday in question time, the minister stated, in relation to a question about GlobeLink:

The policy was to commission a business case. We said we would invest up to $20 million to do an extensive business case.

The minister also referred several times to the 'fine print'. However, in the Liberal Party document 'A strong plan for real change: GlobeLink' we find the following statements:

The dangerous conditions on the Princes Highway and the noisy and disruptive freight railway will be replaced with a corridor which sweeps behind the Adelaide Hills from Murray Bridge…

The various elements of this project will be financed with a combination of state, federal and private equity funds.

And:

A [Marshall] Liberal government will partner with the federal government to deliver the funding required to make this project a reality.

My questions—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! I need to be able to hear the question, please.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: My questions to the minister are: will the minister acknowledge he has misled the council and immediately correct the record? If not, how can he reconcile the statements in the document 'A strong plan for real change: GlobeLink' with his claims that the commitment was only ever for a $20 million business case?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Minister for Trade and Investment) (14:43): I thank the honourable members for their ongoing interest in—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: —a policy that was released prior to the election. I will reiterate that the Marshall government's commitment, which was handled by the Minister for Planning, Transport and Infrastructure—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: I don't know where the members opposite live—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: —because clearly they don't live in this state of South Australia. It was only a matter of a few months ago—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: —that a study, a business case, as I explained yesterday—although the Hon. Mr Wortley was calling it 'Global Link' yesterday, clearly a different policy; he can't even read—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: I made it very clear and it was very clear at the election that we would be investing—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Finished? Have you finished your answer?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: It was a commitment for a business case which we fulfilled, a spend up to $20 million. The business case was made public recently. I have nothing more to say.