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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2019-02-12 Daily Xml
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Question Time

Water Recovery Socio-economic Criteria

Dr CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:10): My question is to the Minister for Environment and Water. Did the minister sign a letter to the Murray-Darling Basin Royal Commission, attaching a submission that stated that the socio-economic criteria already in the plan need not change to deliver the 450 gigalitres?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my left, let's settle down or some of you will be leaving. The Minister for Environment and Water.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Minister for Environment and Water) (15:11): I certainly did provide a response to the royal commission. At that point, we were working through our position on the socio-economic criteria. As I have made very clear, the further we went down this track the more I realised that something needed to change.

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Environment will be seated for one moment. The leader can leave for 20 minutes under 137A.

The honourable member for Croydon having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order—

The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition will leave for 20 minutes under 137A. I have been more than tolerant today.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —on indulgence, sir: the previous leader of the opposition often was given much more indulgence than the current Leader of the Opposition. I would ask you to reconsider, sir.

The SPEAKER: I have reconsidered and I have not changed my mind. If you pull that again, you will be leaving as well. I have been more than tolerant today. The minister has the call.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: Mr Speaker—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: —that information was provided to the royal commission because that was our position at the time. 'But what changed your mind?' they ask. My mind changed because the strategy that was being pushed by the former Labor government was not delivering. It wasn't delivering at all. It is worth reflecting on that 450 gigalitres of additional water and the royal commissioner's view on that situation. From reading those seven or so sentences in his report, it would appear that, in his view, my decision to change tack and to go down that different pathway towards the 450 by working through a robust set of socio-economic criteria somehow prevented the 450 gigalitres of water ever happening, in his view. However, he made that statement very late in his report—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: —and did not award me any procedural fairness.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: However, from reading those isolated sections of the report you would think that, in his view, at that moment in time, I had caused the 450 to become completely unattainable. However, he had made various other dated—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens and the deputy premier will cease this, whatever it is, opposite the chamber. I am trying to listen to the minister. Thank you.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: He had made several other dated statements much earlier in the piece that the 450 gigalitres, in his view, appeared to be in strife.

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader has a point of order.

Dr CLOSE: As you have given me so many times today, Mr Speaker. Our point of order is debate. This is not germane to the—

The SPEAKER: With all respect to the deputy leader, thank you, I have the point of order. There was so much interjecting there, I will allow the minister some scope, but I will be listening very assiduously. Minister.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: I am just wrapping up, but it is important to put on the record that the royal commission's views on the 450 gigalitres and whether they could be obtained or not changed over time. Making the statement that somehow on 14 December the decision that this government took to negotiate with New South Wales and Victoria derailed the 450 is completely inconsistent with his earlier statements in the plan.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: I'm finished.

The SPEAKER: The minister has completed his answer.

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