House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-12-01 Daily Xml

Contents

WATER TRADING

Mr WILLIAMS (MacKillop) (15:15): Again, my question is to the Premier. Premier, how is it that you claim it was your announcement of a challenge through the High Court to Victoria's water trading caps that caused the Victorian government to remove its 10 per cent trading cap, when the South Australian announcement was made on 29 April this year, some three months after the Victorian government had begun its review into the 10 per cent cap—a review clearly designed to clear the pathway for the legislative changes required to remove the cap?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for MacKillop has asked his question.

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) (15:16): I can't believe that you believe that. What we have been doing is putting pressure on Victoria and, bit by bit, they are in retreat.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: You are the people who did not want us to take on the Howard government to stop a nuclear waste dump in this state because, basically, you do not put this state's interests first. We are taking it up to Victoria, and this is the next stage.

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the member for MacKillop!