House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-10-30 Daily Xml

Contents

Privatisation

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:20): Will the Treasurer rule out the sale or privatisation of any SA Water assets?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:20): This would have to be one of the most galling questions that have been advanced in this place. For the Leader of the Opposition to stand here and ask us whether we would rule it out. We ruled it out—we ruled it out during the election campaign.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Who were you talking to? The privatisation of SA Water assets—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: I watch the television. I invite the ladies and gentlemen of the media to play back a little segment during the election campaign where the Leader of the Opposition got the critical question about SA Water, and didn't he choose his words carefully? You could see the terror in his eyes. You could see that he had been told, 'Make sure that you use the words carefully because if you don't—

Mr PISONI: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley has a point of order.

Mr PISONI: He is not responsible to the house for the Leader of the Opposition, and he continually—

The SPEAKER: I uphold the member for Unley's point of order.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: We could not have been clearer during the election campaign, and the Leader of the Opposition could not have been more evasive.

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley is warned for the first time, which is such a pity after a successful point of order. The leader.