House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-10-27 Daily Xml

Contents

Barossa Country Cabinet

Mr WILLIAMS (MacKillop) (15:12): My supplementary question is to the Treasurer. Before cabinet decided to give $2 million of taxpayers' money to Treasury Wine Estates, supposedly to grow jobs in the Barossa Valley, did cabinet do a due diligence study to see if Treasury Wine Estates were cutting jobs in other communities in South Australia?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (15:13): I have to say that Treasury Wine Estates is one of the leading supporters of growth and investment in South Australia, and their brand is one of the most recognisable brands in the world. When people see that brand, they think of South Australia and they think of regional South Australia. I am surprised that the member opposite would ever criticise this government for supporting—

Ms Sanderson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Adelaide is warned for the second and final time.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —a company that does support regional jobs.

Mr Whetstone: No-one is criticising the company.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: 'No-one is criticising,' they interject. The truth is that we conduct due diligence on all of our grants and we make sure that all of our grants are done appropriately. I ask the Liberal Party: 'Did you do due diligence on your preselections?', given the quality of the interjections by members opposite.

The SPEAKER: Further supplementary, member for MacKillop.