House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-10-28 Daily Xml

Contents

Water Pricing

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:53): Supplementary: does the Treasurer agree with Dr Kerin's assertion that the mothballing of the desal plant will save households just $6 a year on their water bills?

The Hon. P. Caica: You should be mothballed, Steven.

The SPEAKER: The member for Colton is called to order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (14:54): I don't know what Mr Kerin is basing that assertion on. Mr Kerin left ESCOSA more than six months ago and, in that six months since he left, the opposition was so concerned about his departure that they asked no questions about it at all.

Ms Chapman: You hid the letter.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I hid no such thing. First and foremost, the letter of resignation of Mr Kerin is not to me; it is to Mr Walsh because he is not employed by me—and I see the member for Goyder nodding—he is employed by the Essential Services Commissioner. The resignation was to him. As far as I am aware, I played absolutely no part at all in Mr Kerin's resignation. I played no function in that at all.

I was notified by ESCOSA that Mr Kerin had resigned and that they began the process in the search for a new chief executive. People come and go. The former leader of the opposition, the member for Davenport, is leaving; he is bored; he has had enough of the six months he has been here since the last election and he has decided to go off to greener pastures. No doubt there will be more by-elections: Isobel, I am sure she will be going soon—sorry, the member for Heysen.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Treasurer is warned a second and final time for referring to the member for Heysen by other than her electorate name, and the leader is warned. The deputy leader.