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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-07-24 Daily Xml
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WATER BILLING

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Leader of the Opposition) (14:17): My question is to the Premier. Has the Minister for Water Security breached section 2.5 of his Ministerial Code of Conduct, and what action does he intend to take? Section 2.5 of the Ministerial Code of Conduct, under the heading 'Fairness and Diligence in Decision Making', states the following:

Ministers should not make an official decision without first giving due consideration to the merits of the matter at hand and the impact the decision is likely to have on the rights and interests of the people involved and the citizens of South Australia. A minister must use all reasonable endeavours to obtain all relevant information and facts before making a decision on a particular issue and should consult, as appropriate, in relation to the matter at issue.

The Minister for Water Security has this week admitted to parliament and to the public that she failed to give due consideration to the new water billing arrangements, that this failure has impacted adversely on the public, who have been given incorrect SA Water bills, and that she did not obtain all the relevant information and facts before making key decisions on the matter.

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (14:18): No, that is not the case. In fact, it is very interesting that you should raise this because the minister has acknowledged and apologised for a mistake and says she will fix it—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Do you want to speak? I will let you speak.

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for MacKillop is warned. Premier.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: There were some very interesting revelations yesterday that did not quite make the breaking news, because yesterday it had been revealed that your government, while you sat around that table, made a decision, and yesterday we saw Lucas coming out and making the same mistake. We saw Brindal, your former water minister, ringing in to a radio station and saying he did not know about it, but it was revealed—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: It was revealed yesterday, by the Leader of the Opposition, that he knew that, in fact, there was a falsehood, that he knew the true billing system. If that is the case, why is it that he did not apologise to the people of this state? Why is it that he allowed subterfuge to take place, deliberate subterfuge, as opposed to—

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier will take his seat. Point of order, Leader of the Opposition.

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: On a point of order, what I actually said yesterday is that I read my water bill.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order. The Leader of the Opposition should not make frivolous points of order.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Because what happened yesterday—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. M.D. RANN: It is very hard to hear above this cacophony of noise from the other side. What happened yesterday is that, when it was revealed that the former government had made the same mistake, but did not come out and correct it, did not issue a refund—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Deputy Leader of the Opposition!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: —we made the presumption, because we are fair-minded, that Mr Lucas and Mr Brindal had made the same mistake. But, no, one of the cabinet ministers present said he knew all along. So, where is his apology to the people of this state, and why didn't he tell his colleagues that they should apologise, change the system and issue a refund?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Because of his over-weaning vanity yesterday he said he knew around that table—and he was there for a good two months, an historic period in the history of the state; he was part of a rabbit punch on the way down. He knew that there was subterfuge, but he refused to apologise, refused to correct, refused to refund, and that is the difference between him and this minister, who had the courage to admit a mistake. The people of South Australia for years have said, 'Wouldn't it be good to hear a politician say, ''I'm sorry.'' Wouldn't it be good to hear a politician say, ''Yes, I made a mistake.''' Honesty versus spin, spin, spin from Media Marty, who is—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The house will come to order.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: For the Leader of the Opposition, honesty, like the mining boom, like the BHP development of Roxby Downs, is some kind of mirage in the desert. Here we have a minister who admitted a mistake, a minister who is fixing the mistake, a minister who is giving a refund. There is the Leader of the Opposition, who did not reveal that he knew that there had been a mistake made, but claimed to this house yesterday that he knew all along. Who is the honest one? Who is fit to be a minister? This minister is!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

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