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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-11-11 Daily Xml
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North-South Corridor

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee) (14:37): My question is to the Premier. How much more debt will need to be accrued beyond the $33 billion outlined in yesterday's budget to fully fund the state's funding commitment to the $8.9 billion upgrade to the north-south corridor?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:37): Well, this will be discovered in next year's budget. We do this in four-year cycles. We have said very clearly that this is a very important project for South Australia; in fact, this was a project that was first envisaged, would you believe, before I was born. This was the original MATS scheme, which unfortunately was sabotaged by successive Labor governments in South Australia. The acquisition of the land, which was paid for—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —by the people of South Australia, all that work, that pre-work, was done—flogged off. Tough times, so they just flog off an asset here in South Australia. We saw it time and time again with their previous administration, but we know that this is a crucial project for the people of South Australia.

It's the largest infrastructure project in the history of the state. It's an important project. Although it has been a long time in coming, we are very proud to be the ones who are going to be delivering it. The remaining 10.5 kilometres are, of course, the hardest. Who would have thought those opposite would leave the hard part to last? It beggars belief, but that's what they did. We are up to the challenge. We are very happy—

Ms Cook: A one-way expressway. Who would have thought they could stuff up the easy part?

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Hurtle Vale is called to order.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —for this challenge. We know that this is going to be an expensive project for the people of South Australia. We believe it will be $8.9 billion. We have already announced $5.4 billion, which will take us up to the completion of stage 1 of this final 10.5-kilometre stretch. There will be more money required, but it is an important project. What are those opposite suggesting? What are they suggesting—that we cancel it?

Members interjecting:

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: They say, 'Get on with it.' I must say—

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —I'm a little bit confused about what's going on over there. I wonder whether they're a little bit confused about what's going on over there. Let me tell you, sir, yesterday I understand they came out and said they support our plans for the north-south corridor, even though it's a complete 180-degree turn from where they were prior to the last election.

Mr Malinauskas: We were too busy delivering and building things.

The SPEAKER: The leader!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: You see, sir, they completely and utterly ruled out tunnels here in South Australia. In fact, two former ministers in this area, with two separate studies in 2012 and 2014, made it clear that tunnels weren't an option. They wanted this lowered motorway, which would have cut off east—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —and west. It was very clear, sir. We came to government and we went straight to the department, 'What plans have been done?' We were told that not a single cent—not a single cent—was in the forward estimates for the 10.5—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader will cease interjecting.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Believe it or not, the Northern Connector is not in that 10.5 final stretch. I don't know what you studied at school, whether you did geography, whether you know north, south, east and west, but let me tell you—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —sir, the Northern Connector has nothing to do with the last 10.5 kilometres.

The SPEAKER: The Premier will resume his seat.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: It has nothing to do with it.

The SPEAKER: The Premier will resume his seat. The member for Lee on a point of order.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Point of order, Mr Speaker: not only does the Premier seem highly agitated but he keeps referring to you in his response to the question that I asked him, which of course is unparliamentary.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier will direct his remarks through the Chair. The Premier has the call.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: The Leader of the Opposition was getting a little bit confused and I'm happy to help him because he thinks that the Northern Connector has something to do with that last 10.5 kilometres. Let me tell you—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the leader!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —where that last 10.5 kilometres is. It's between Darlington and the Torrens and it is a complex area. It is a complex area to deal with.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Point of order, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: The Premier will resume his seat. The member for Lee on a point of order.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Standing order 98 again: the Premier was asked how much more debt will need to be accrued to fully fund the state's funding commitment to the $8.9 billion north-south corridor upgrade. How much more debt?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left! I'm well aware of the question the Premier was asked. The Premier is in the course of answering the question. The Premier has the call.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: This is a very important question. It's talking about the debt that is going to be required to finish the largest single infrastructure project in the history of South Australia. It doesn't surprise me that those opposite don't want the details that I'm trying to provide here because when they were given the opportunity to work on some of the details when they were in government they did nothing. Not a single cent hit their forward estimates for the final 10.5—not a single cent—so I think they would be quite interested in the answer to this question. Not a single piece of documentation existed, so the cupboard was bare.

I want to congratulate the former minister and the current minister on the work they and their departments have done to advance this very, very important project that will significantly enhance our productivity as a state and remove—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Get on with it. It's extraordinary, sir, that they don't want to hear about this project.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier's time has expired.

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