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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-06-16 Daily Xml
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SUSTAINABLE BUDGET COMMISSION

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Leader of the Opposition) (14:46): My question is again to the Treasurer. Why, after eight years and eight budgets, does the Treasurer need to appoint a commission to examine and diagnose the state's finances so as to tell him what new tax or revenue measures or cuts should be made?

In 2002, the government commissioned the Fahey report into the Public Service and also the Economic Development Board review. In 2003, it commissioned the Menadue report into the health system; in 2004, the Speakman Payze report into the Public Service; and in 2006, the Smith report into public sector finance and expenditure arrangements and the Goss commission to overhaul and modernise the public sector. Is that not enough?

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Federal/State Relations) (14:47): Yet again another inaccuracy from the Leader of the Opposition. My understanding, and I stand to be corrected, is that the Fahey commission was appointed by the Liberal government when the leader was in cabinet, so he cannot even get that right. We inherited the Fahey commission, and he was in the cabinet when they appointed it. Don't you remember that?

This goes to the level of competence of the alternate premier of this state. He has accused us of signing up to a review that was signed up by his government, by him, when he was in cabinet. If the Leader of the Opposition cannot get a story straight about his time in government, what faith can South Australians have in Martin Hamilton-Smith to be honest, sincere and to tell the truth? He cannot. Time and time again he says untruths, he says things that are wrong, he makes mistakes. Shame on you, Martin Hamilton-Smith, shame on you. As I said, the Fahey commission was—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: What, we would have come into government and appointed John Fahey? It is a bit like what the Premier was saying before, that you would think something would give it away, like the Scientology having an Adelaide postcode. Duh! You would have thought, 'The Fahey commission, gee, maybe that was us. John Fahey was a former Liberal federal minister for finance and premier of New South Wales.'

The Hon. P.F. Conlon interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: That's true. I have said repeatedly that the way I operate, unlike the Leader of the Opposition who thinks he knows everything, I stand on my modesty and know that I do not. I like to bring in outside expertise from time to time to put me under pressure. The opposition certainly does not. I do not get any pressure from the Liberals, so I have to get some pressure from the people that I bring in.

We did that with the Smith review when we were re-elected in 2006. We have implemented, I think, around 93 per cent to 95 per cent of all the savings that Mr Smith put to government. That is where the rating agencies have confidence and faith in us. I just happen to think that, if we get re-elected—and that, of course, is not a foregone conclusion; it will be a very difficult election for Labor to win—should we be lucky to be re-elected (and that is an unknown outcome), I actually think that, after eight years in government, the right thing to do is to have a damn good hard look at where you are spending money, what can be adjusted, what can be finetuned and what should be cut. I am not afraid to put myself under that pressure.

I can stand on the record of this government in delivering quality budgets each and every year that we have been in office. What higher praise can you have than what the Leader of the Opposition said last week: the last seven years have been the best seven years the state has ever had, and we are in government. Thank you very much. That is one of the rare occasions when he has said something that is absolutely true. But it just shows you that he is down on his luck when the best cheering squad we've got for our seven years in government is the Leader of the Opposition. He has had a hard, tough couple of weeks.

I just say again, as I have said from the outset: it goes to the credibility of someone who purports to be a future premier of this state. If he can't get it right, honest and truthful in this place, what will he be like under pressure as a premier? What will he be like in a crisis? What will he be like when things are difficult?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Hartley.

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