House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-06-09 Daily Xml

Contents

WATER ALLOCATIONS

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (14:44): My question is to Premier Rann. Will the Premier detail the proceedings of the state government's High Court challenge to Victoria's 4 per cent water trading cap? If not, will the Premier now concede that it was simply another political stunt?

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) (14:44): Given that we have already seen Victoria make concessions over the 10 per cent cap—

Mr Williams: No we haven't.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Yes, we did. It just shows you don't read anything.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Point of order: the deputy leader's behaviour is appalling.

The SPEAKER: Yes, the question was asked; you did not need to answer it, member for MacKillop. The question was asked of the Premier, not you.

Mr Williams: I thought they would want to know the truth.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. Conlon: The truth is you are a buffoon. What other truth do you want?

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: But, of course, it was the same approach from the Liberal opposition when we took on the federal government—of their persuasion—that wanted to impose a nuclear waste dump on this state. They said it was a waste of time and they said it would fail, and we won. They said it was a stunt, and we won it 3-0 in the court. What you would have done—and we saw what the Leader of the Opposition said on some kind of bizarre interview—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: —she thought the nuclear waste dump—

Mr WILLIAMS: Point of order, Madam Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Point of order, member for MacKillop.

Mr WILLIAMS: This is just another political stunt when the Premier is asked a question about another political stunt: the one about the River Murray.

The SPEAKER: Order! I am not sure what that point of order—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I don't think there is a standing order that talks about political stunts. However, I ask the Premier to go back to the question. You have finished the question, thank you.