House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-03-24 Daily Xml

Contents

River Murray SustainabIlity Program

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (14:23): Supplementary: what is the minister doing to secure the $25 million of the River Murray diversification fund that has already been realised in three other basin states?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (14:24): Mr Speaker, this question was asked last week. I was just thinking about it now that you probably haven't had your briefing yet, so I'll make sure that's arranged by the end of the week, and I'll also invite the other shadow minister for primary agriculture. We're not satisfied—

Mr PISONI: Point of order: members are addressed by their electorates, I understand.

The SPEAKER: I don't know to whom the Treasurer was referring, so I can't uphold that point of order—unless he would care to tell me. And I don't think 'shadow shadow' is a title recognised by the parliament.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The member for Unley is right to move a point of order. I was mocking the member for Hammond, so I apologise.

The SPEAKER: I call the Treasurer to order then.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Thank you, sir. What the commonwealth is attempting to do through this allocation of funding is to use our own balance sheet to fund their initiative, and we're not going to stand for it. We won't allow them to do it. If the commonwealth government want to give us $25 million to cost us $21 million, that's not a good deal.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Schubert is warned a first time, the member for Heysen the second time, and the member for Kavel is warned because his interjection wasn't so funny.