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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-06-23 Daily Xml
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ADELAIDE OVAL

Mr WILLIAMS (MacKillop—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:04): That was the first question the Premier has ever answered in my experience. My question is to the Treasurer.

An honourable member interjecting:

Mr WILLIAMS: No, but we got the answer.

The SPEAKER: On with the question.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Point of order, Madam Speaker. I know he has been here a long time and he has struggled to get where he is, but he does know that he cannot just launch into a little speech when he stands up.

The SPEAKER: Absolutely. I uphold that point of order. Get on with the question, please.

Mr WILLIAMS: Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is to the Treasurer. When did the Treasurer advise his staff to tell the media on 9 March this year, prior to the $85 million increase in the Adelaide Oval funding, 'I promise on the soul of my grandmother we have not received any advice to say the $450 million is not enough'? Was it before or after that he forgot about the cost blowout advised to him on 19 February?

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Federal/State Relations, Minister for Defence Industries) (15:05): There are lots of dates thrown in there. I just remind the house that I gave a detailed statement yesterday, but I want to come back—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! If you had listened a bit more carefully you might have been able to, instead of making so much noise.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: The issue, as I have volunteered, is that I attended a meeting with Leigh Whicker on 19 February to talk about a number of matters, and towards the end of that meeting Mr Whicker made comment to me and—from memory—showed some figures relating to an initial cost. I cannot recall whether that was in a verbal briefing or whether it was a bit of paper; there were just a couple of figures. At that stage it was a very preliminary number. From memory, there were a number of other stages to go through in terms of the costings. I did not believe—and it was my decision—those numbers to be credible at that stage, given that it was so early in the process. As the minutes of the government steering committee meeting some weeks later demonstrated, it appeared to have a similar view when it said that those figures could not and should not be relied upon, as they could either go up—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Treasurer is answering the question, not the opposition.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: —as they could either go up or they could go down.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Madam Speaker, this is difficult. I am happy to answer, but if members want to give me a barrage I will sit down, as simple as that. That minute of the steering committee meeting said that these figures cannot and should not be relied upon, as they may go up or down—or words to that effect—and that the scope of the project had not been completed. As we stand here today—

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Davenport.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I will take that question as answered. The member for Davenport.

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