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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-10-15 Daily Xml
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STATE BUDGET

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Leader of the Opposition) (14:35): I have a supplementary question. Given the Treasurer's answer to my earlier question, which was along the lines that in his budget, he accurately estimates income and expenses—

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I rise on point of order. If the Leader of the Opposition wishes to make comment or explain his question, he should seek the leave of the house, not turn it into some species of grievance.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I will listen to what the leader has said. I think he was only indicating the nature in which the question was supplementary. The Leader of the Opposition.

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: Thank you, sir. Given that the Treasurer has argued that he accurately estimates revenues and expenses in his budget, how can he explain that, according to the budget papers and the Auditor-General, this Treasurer has underestimated his revenues (from 2002 until 2008) by a massive $3.7 billion in successive years, that he has got it $3.7 billion wrong on revenue over seven years and that his expenses have been wrong every year?

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I rise on a point of order.

The SPEAKER: Order! Now that is debate. Treasurer.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Federal/State Relations) (14:36): Did he actually call you a girl before? What sort of playground interjection is that, calling you a girl?

The Hon. M.D. Rann: Who said that?

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Marty called Patrick a girl.

The SPEAKER: The Treasurer will get on with his answer.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: What sort of childish interjection is that?

The Hon. M.D. Rann: Well, it's sexist.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: And sexist.

The Hon. P.F. Conlon: I take it as a compliment. I like to get in touch with my feminine side.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: What a horrible thought! Maybe members can help me here (and I will check the Hansard), but I do not believe that I said that I accurately forecast revenue and expenditure: because I do not.

Mr Hamilton-Smith: Yes, you did.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: No, I did not. What I said was that we bring down a budget each year that forecasts what we consider to be the expenditure—and we can control that pretty well—and our revenue, but if you honestly think that I am such a genius that I can somehow accurately predict—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: That is just such a silly question. I can't. I can't forecast what revenue will be, just like you can't forecast what your share portfolio returns will be.

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Exactly; nor could I do that with my property in Sydney. To suggest that somehow—I do not know what I am guilty of—I am receiving $3.7 billion of extra revenue, which we have used to wipe out debt, which we have used to pay back in tax cuts, and which we have used to put more nurses, doctors, police officers and vital public services into place, and to double the capacity of our hospitals—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. Conlon: You didn't build a stadium. You squandered it.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Spending a billion dollars on a stadium would have been squandering it; I agree. That is what the Leader of the Opposition would have us do. I really think that, if the leader wants to get enraged and get that red face and berate me, can he just put a little gravitas and substance into his questions?

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