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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-06-01 Daily Xml
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Torrens to Darlington Project

Mr SPEIRS (Black—Leader of the Opposition) (14:38): My question is to the Premier. Will the Premier confirm that the decision to reprofile cash flows for the Torrens to Darlington project was made before the Department for Infrastructure and Transport provided its minister with the initial outcomes of its project review? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr SPEIRS: The 495-word document tabled yesterday states in its first dot point that its purpose is to provide a rationale for the reprofiling of cash flows for the project. The second dot point shows that before the preparation of the document the department had been made aware that the budget would push over $1 billion from the previously budgeted cash flow to beyond the forward estimates. What then follows in the document is a retrospective justification for a budget decision that had already been made.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:39): I have to say I am not sure the Leader of the Opposition understands what he is asking. He is asking why is it that we have released the rationale for the decision that the department have said to us that they can't get the money out the door. The Treasurer and I have said clearly: if the project was as advertised and as projected, we would be putting the money out the door.

The Hon. S.C. Mullighan: Getting on with it.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: We would be getting on with it. The problem is that the department is conducting a review of the reference design as we instructed it to when I first came to office. In fact, it was one of the first announcements we made after we came to office, after I was sworn in. After the Premier gave me the responsibility to be transport and infrastructure minister, I was very keen to get to the bottom of what was going on with the north-south corridor.

In this reference design, as we're formulating in the budget—and the reference design review is not completed—we have easily seen that the work cannot be done in the four years stipulated by the previous government. So what the minister is asking is he is claiming that he has the final report for review of the reference design, when I have said previously that the reference design is not completed, that the work has not been finished. They are informing the government about having to reprofile because they can't get the money out the door. It is entirely appropriate; that's exactly how it should have been.

What should have happened, of course, was this work should have been done before the election by the previous government so that we wouldn't have been left with this mess. As I said yesterday, if members opposite were serious about the north-south corridor, they would turn up to actually—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Colton!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —move the motions that they had put on notice in the parliament.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: Minister, there is a point of order. I will hear the point of order from the member for Morialta.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Well, it's entirely orderly for members to move motions on other members' behalf in the first point; it is disorderly to reflect members' presence in the chamber or not at different times in the day. The member is out of order on both counts.

The SPEAKER: I draw the minister's attention to the standing order. I understand that there was some detail there that may engage the standing orders, but I do remind the minister of the standing orders.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: What the opposition is attempting to argue is that we have attempted to move money out of the budget deliberately to fund other commitments. That is just simply not true, simply not true. If members opposite had any integrity at all on this issue, they are the ones who have caused the delay, not the government. The idea—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Hammond!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: But think of the accusation. The accusation—

The SPEAKER: The member for Hammond is on one warning.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —is that independent public servants have breached the Public Sector Management Act and have deliberately made things up to suit us.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: That is an appalling accusation. Wayne Buckerfield and Jon Whelan are first-class public servants who have served both governments loyally, and I note the shadow infrastructure minister nodding his head in agreement. That is true: they are great public servants who have served both parties fearlessly and independently.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Hartley is warned.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Fearless and independent advice is telling the government of the day that the profile that the former government set couldn't be met. The idea that somehow—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Hartley is warned for a second time.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —they would retrospectively make up advice is appalling. If members opposite want to make that accusation, go outside and make those accusations of those public servants. Go outside and do it. But they won't. They will hide in here, they will use privilege and they will attack these public servants.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I have only ever used privilege appropriately, sir. There have never been any sanctions against me. In fact, as far as—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —I know, the only member of parliament to have been sanctioned—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —in this parliament for contempt is the former Deputy Premier of those opposite, not by us, and in a parliament controlled by members opposite, not by us. We were the minority. So this is, quite frankly, an appalling attack on two excellent public servants. I am happy for members opposite to attack me because, quite frankly, it's funny to watch them try. It's very entertaining, especially when they don't turn up to move their own motions, which I think is a unique tactic.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: The minister has completed his answer.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Well, he also defied your ruling, sir.

The SPEAKER: I'm not certain that's right but, in any case, I am going to turn to your leader.

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