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

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:25): My supplementary is to the Premier. Can the Premier update the house on the net asset value of the Motor Accident Commission, and can he then explain to the house what a substantial asset is if the Motor Accident Commission is not a substantial asset?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (14:26): Value and function are two very separate issues.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The Leader of the Opposition scoffs. The reality is the Liberal Party are attempting to tell us that they think the Motor Accident Commission is an essential service that can only be provided by government. The opposition and the government differ on this. We believe that the market can provide a better scope for third-party premiums. We do not believe that the private sector, the market, can provide water security, and they are two very different functions. What the opposition are saying is that value and function are exactly the same; therefore, it is not about what the function is, it is about the value.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Well, we are in politics for the social issues. We are in politics because we care about working people, and water and the delivery of water and the safety of water are fundamental to the function that SA Water have, and that is why under a Labor government it will remain in government control.

The function of third-party premiums is not something that the government needs to be doing. The market is mature enough to offer that service by private providers. It amazes me that the Liberal Party are actually arguing that the market can't do it better than the government. Is it any wonder they are still in opposition? Is it any wonder business are dismayed at the opposition, that they are actually arguing against the private sector being involved in the writing of third-party premiums? That is why they are lost, because—

Mr GARDNER: Point of order, Mr Speaker—98.

The SPEAKER: I uphold the point of order.

Mr van Holst Pellekaan: So his lips moved out of order then.

The SPEAKER: Well, presumably the opposition don't want me to remove the Treasurer from the chamber just at this juncture, so should I remove the Treasurer under the standing order—

Mr Gardner: Suspend the sentence for two minutes.

The SPEAKER: Well, I was thinking of suspending the sentence until the end of question time, but he hasn't been removed yet.

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