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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-05-13 Daily Xml
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Federal Budget

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:04): My question is to the Treasurer. What is the job title of the junior official who was referred to by the Treasurer today as negotiating with the federal government on the Torrens rail separation project?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (15:05): It will surprise the deputy leader to know that I don't have the names and titles of every employee in DPTI. I know the Leader of the Opposition—

Mr Bell interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Mount Gambier has been called to order and warned the maximum number of times.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I am provoking him, sir; in his defence, I am provoking him. No, sir, I don't have the names of the 'junior officials'—

The Hon. J.M. Rankine interjecting:

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

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Wright is warned for the first time.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I can't hear her myself, sir, so I am stunned that you can.

The SPEAKER: I'd know that voice anywhere.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Finely tuned to that wavelength! In terms of the deputy leader claiming there was a negotiation with a junior DPTI official and the commonwealth government, what I am saying is the assertion the opposition made is that somehow we have negotiated an outcome with the commonwealth government where we asked of this. What I understand the Assistant Minister for Infrastructure is relying upon, and what the finance minister is relying upon from assistant minister Briggs, is that a spreadsheet was sent to the commonwealth government, but he is talking in the absence of letters, correspondence and conversations had with the minister to minister, from government to government.

We have always said, 'Look, we have spent state taxpayers' money on this piece of rail infrastructure that is owned by the commonwealth; we have done our money in advance; we have grade separated the Goodwood corridor; it was the right thing to do by local residents. We did that; it improved freight outcomes for South Australians. Now it is the commonwealth's turn to hand that money over in 2015-16 as they promised.' They have now reneged.

If they are relying on a spreadsheet, as sent to them, quite frankly then I think they are politicising a piece of infrastructure work that had been long agreed. Quite frankly, upgrading freight and rail is a very important piece of economic productivity for this state. The faster we can get our products to market, the better it is for our farmers, for our exporters and for our small businesses. Why anyone would want to politicise this is beyond me. I don't understand why assistant minister Briggs has changed the scope from MYEFO, why he has changed it from the last federal budget. We had a deal, and the deal was that this money would be handed over in 2015-16, and they've reneged.

What are the implications for the infrastructure spend? We'll get to the bottom of it. They've also changed the profiling of Darlington, which concerns me, and should concern all members in the southern suburbs, about what the commonwealth government is up to there as well. So, I will find out who this official is who has told the commonwealth government that we want to do it over a different profiling.

The reality is that the government was ready to go this upcoming financial year. I understand DPTI are ready, and I understand Infrastructure Australia hold it as a high priority, I am advised. I am also advised that the chief executive, in his conversations with the commonwealth department, has advised them on the importance of this project. Minister Mullighan has advised assistant minister Briggs on the importance of this project, in correspondence as well as verbally. So, why this has happened—I suppose in the light of there being no new infrastructure funding in the federal budget for South Australia but spending $5 billion in the north of Australia probably speaks more of why they are trying to move money around, and probably to pay for infrastructure spending somewhere else.

The SPEAKER: The Treasurer won't refer to the Minister for Transport by his surname. The member for Hartley.

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