Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-05-08 Daily Xml

Contents

Clare Valley Water Supply

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (14:36): I have a further supplementary question. Would the minister like to read the following headline, ABC News, dated 21 February 2014? Of course, you wouldn't, minister, because it says, 'SA election: Liberals say no plan to privatise water.' Will you desist from misleading the house?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:36): This is the fig leaf they hid behind. The member for Norwood (now Dunstan), when he was pressed on radio, 'Will you privatise SA Water,' he said, 'Er, no.' 'Well, what about the assets?' and there was stunned silence because we know what their plan was: tell the electorate that we won't privatise SA Water—

The Hon. J.M.A. Lensink: Can't you read?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: —but in their back pocket we all know that there was a plan: 'We'll flog off the assets, and we'll just leave SA Water as a contracting company in the hands of the taxpayer.'

The Hon. J.M.A. Lensink: Can't you read?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: It's not a problem with my not being able to read; it is a problem of their not being able to tell the truth to the electorate.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Maher.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Maher has the floor.