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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-02-11 Daily Xml
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Gillman Land Sale

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:07): Supplementary: given the answer of the Treasurer and that it is a term of the option deed that has been referred to in this agreement, have you actually attended any of the meetings or assisted in that further investment or potential occupiers of the site?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (15:08): I stand by my previous answer. As I said, it is the role of the Treasurer and the Minister for State Development to advocate on behalf of companies.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Hang on a second. I also point out that, when there are joint ventures that are being negotiated or when an oil and gas company or an iron ore company or a property developer is seeking to get some foreign direct investment in South Australia, I can assure you that the one thing that those companies do not want is that broadcast all over the world, especially not being put on the public record.

Now, if the government devotes money or resources or taxpayer funds towards a development then the public have a right to know. If it is advocating on behalf of a stable regulatory environment where the state says there is no sovereign risk and people want to meet their political leadership, that is entirely appropriate, but what I am not going to do—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I am getting to your point. What I am not going to do, though, is divulge publicly when I have meetings with the private sector who want to engage in foreign direct investment because one, it tips off their competitors and they can't come to us—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Hang on a second. They can't come to us and talk about what their proposals are. Can I just say, the Leader of the Opposition met with ACP, was very supportive of their deal. I've never asked what was said at that coffee meeting. I never asked the Leader of the Opposition what it is he said. I've never asked the Leader of the Opposition if his previous commercial ties were competitors of ACP and have in any way biased any decisions he's made. I've never made any of those assumptions about the Leader of the Opposition.

I know that he is very close to some other developers who are in direct competition with ACP, but I don't believe there is any conflict here, because the Leader of the Opposition would be in breach of several codes of conduct if he were, and I'm sure he wouldn't do that. So, I know, Mr Speaker, that people talk with the private sector all the time.

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: The Treasurer, I think, was speaking in the subjunctive.

Ms CHAPMAN: Well, if he was, it was hard—

The SPEAKER: No, 'if he were'.

Ms CHAPMAN: It was heavily disguised.

The SPEAKER: Treasurer.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I've completed my answer.

The SPEAKER: Splendid.

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