Treasury Portfolio

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:26): I want to talk about Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis, who clearly is out of his depth and struggling to handle the new Treasury portfolio. I outlined some of the detail of that yesterday. Treasurer Koutsantonis also has some very significant enemies within the government, both amongst MPs, staff and senior Labor figures within the union movement. The fact that he, according to Labor Party market research, is easily the most unpopular minister both in the former government and the current government is testament to that fact.

The Liberal Party has been advised by a source with intimate knowledge of workings of senior levels of the Weatherill Labor government that former treasurer Kevin Foley has been assisting Mr Koutsantonis over recent weeks in his preparations for the delivery of the 2014-15 budget. This raises some very significant issues, as Mr Foley of course is a registered lobbyist on the Lobbyist Register. Mr Foley is registered in the business entity name Foley Advisory Pty Ltd. His clients are listed as the Australian Submarine Corporation, Gregsand Pty Ltd, Kamela Pty Ltd, Nyrstar, Prime Space Projects Pty Ltd, Rochford Pastoral Company, SkyCity Casinos, HYLC Joint Venture, Braemar Iron and Weeks Group of Companies—some 10 companies that he is listed as representing.

I am assuming that Mr Foley's role with Treasurer Koutsantonis has not been one of being employed as a paid lobbyist. I believe even Treasurer Koutsantonis would not be that stupid—well, I hope he would not be even that stupid—in relation to employment of Mr Foley, but it does raise very significant issues of potential conflicts of interest. Any lobbyist that gets access to information before any other lobbyist or indeed anybody else operating in the business arena has a potential considerable advantage in having access to that information before it is released publicly on budget day.

One only needs to look at the range of issues that budgets will consider: revenue either increases, decreases or not with the whole discussion about that; any reviews there might be of government operations (approaches and policy towards industry assistance, for example); general policy directions of any nature; the issue of whether or not there will be privatisation or sale of government assets by a potential treasurer and Treasury; and there are many other issues, of course, that are included in budget documents. For example, any knowledge of increases or not of revenue or tax increases in particular areas, or whether advice might be provided about whether or not a government or a treasurer should break promises and increase taxes, potentially has a significant influence on areas of considerable business operation. Even knowledge of these issues gives a potential competitor an advantage in the marketplace. It would certainly give a lobbyist a privileged position in indicating to potential clients—not just existing ones—that that lobbyist had access to either assisting, mentoring or guiding the current Treasurer of the state.

There are many questions that Treasurer Koutsantonis must now answer. For example, since the election, how many meetings, telephone calls and discussions has he had with Mr Foley? What has been the nature of those discussions? Has there been any discussion at all about any aspect of the budget document (which has not yet been released, and which will not be released until Budget Day tomorrow)? Will Treasurer Koutsantonis provide details of all emails between himself, his staff, Treasury and Finance, and Mr Foley on any issue since the election? Was Mr Foley consulted about details of Treasurer Koutsantonis's approach to his budget speech, which will be given tomorrow? Was he provided with access to draft copies of the budget speech?

These are very serious issues that strike at the heart of the whole budget process. They strike at the heart of the tremendous power and access that lobbyists have had to senior levels of the Rann Labor government and the Weatherill Labor government over many years. In the interests of transparency and accountability, Treasurer Koutsantonis must provide answers to all these questions; certainly, whilst I am not expecting that he will answer them all, I am submitting freedom of information requests today seeking that information.

I say at this stage that I have been given no evidence of any improper actions by Mr Foley, and therefore I make no accusations against Mr Foley. My accusations are directed solely at Treasurer Koutsantonis and his political judgement.