Mount Gambier Saleyards

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (14:39): Supplementary: given that the minister has expressed her disappointment in the outcomes—

The PRESIDENT: Just ask the supplementary question; there is no preamble.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Has the minister had any discussions with Minister King since 16 May, when the District Council of Grant was notified that the project was unsuccessful? What were the outcomes of those discussions?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:39): I did discuss this project with Minister King last year. One of the things that she emphasised to me was the importance of this being a transparent process, unlike a lot of the pork-barrelling that occurred under the previous Liberal federal government. We all remember, of course, the questions that were raised by positions such as the Auditor-General around the various processes—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —of the former Liberal government. Our government here in South Australia and, according to Minister King when I discussed it with her last year, her government are very keen to have a transparent process. I was very pleased that this project got through the first stage of consideration. That clearly indicated that it had merit, and I look forward to seeing what the next steps are from the Grant district council.