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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-06-03 Daily Xml
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FEDERAL ELECTION

Mr GRIFFITHS (Goyder) (15:26): My question is to the Treasurer. Will the state government now be funding the $861 million worth of commitments that the Rudd government promised South Australia during the 2007 federal election campaign, which were not provided for in the recent federal budget?

The Rudd Labor government's budget has failed (and I emphasise that word) to provide funding for a range of promises made during the federal election campaign. These included: $260 million towards building desalination plants in Adelaide and the Upper Spencer Gulf, with no specific mention of the works in the budget; upgrades for South Road, the Victor Harbor Road and the Dukes Highway—of $590 million of road and rail funding promises about $86 million will flow through to South Australia; the establishment of two specialist health clinics in Adelaide's northern suburbs for defence families; $20 million to be spent on establishing a manufacturing centre at Mawson Lakes; the delivery of $11 million in community grants for Adelaide's northern suburbs—with no apparent mention in the budget papers.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Federal/State Relations) (15:27): I now appear to be responsible for the federal budget as well as the state budget.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Can you just let me answer it without gibbering, please.

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I will get a detailed answer for the member, but I can say this (if I can remember the list that he went through). The government has yet to agree that we will partner BHP in the Upper Spencer Gulf desalination plant, because BHP has not yet fully scoped the project, and nor have we.

Mr Hamilton-Smith: It's all up in the air at the moment: is that what you are saying?

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: No, it is not what we are saying. It is just that BHP has not finalised all the details as it relates to the desalination plant and has not even done the EIS for it as yet.

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: You can ask me that as a separate question. I do not know whether these guys understand budgeting, but the feds will not give us money until we have something to spend it on. With respect to the desalination plant for the state, we will be in a position to make some very important announcements about that very shortly. That is a project that we are committed to but, again, we are yet to sign any contracts. The federal government will not provide that money to us in any budget before that happens. However, having said that, I think it is part of its $10 billion, anyway. I believe the member mentioned the South Road and other road projects. Has he heard of AusLink 1 and 2?

Mr Griffiths: Yes.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: These projects are involved in AusLink 1 and 2, I think, in the out years. These things are not built very quickly. With respect to the $20 million for the manufacturing centre, my understanding, from advice I have been given, is that we are now working with the commonwealth on the details for that; where it will be and how it will operate. However, again, you do not receive that money until you begin delivering the project. What were some of the others?

Mr Griffiths: A specialist health centre in the northern suburbs.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Let us wait and see. I do not have the exact detail on that. What are the others?

Mr Griffiths: There was $11 million in community grants for Adelaide's northern suburbs.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I do not know about that. If the federal Labor government made $11 million of community commitments to the northern suburbs, that is their problem, not mine. I cannot answer for them on that. You might want to get one of your colleagues in Canberra to ask what the process is in relation to that. Are there any more?

Mr Griffiths: That is the extent of my questions.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I have answered the question.

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