Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-10-28 Daily Xml

Contents

Water Industry Act

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (14:37): I have a supplementary question. Can the minister outline what consumer protections he has implemented, or his predecessor implemented, in the last 2½ years since the Water Industry Act was passed?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:37): I guess the bigger—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Can I just let you know how this is going to play out.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: He's going to answer the question properly.

The PRESIDENT: He will answer the question the way he sees fit. The crossbench would expect at least four questions today. If you are going to continually disrupt this, I will make sure they get their four questions. The honourable Mr Dawkins, you have a point of order?

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: I do. The chief interjector over the top of the minister then was his ministerial colleague. I hope you would actually take note of that.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! My comments were to all, both the opposition and the government. The Hon. Ms Lensink.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Thank you for your protection from the verballing of the Leader of the Government, Mr President.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I believe I already had the floor to answer the supplementary of the honourable member.

The PRESIDENT: If you wish to, honourable minister.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I was going to say, she asked what consumer protections have been introduced. I would say the biggest consumer protection that we have introduced is the 6.4 per cent drop in the price of water—not matched by those people opposite. All they are concerned with is privatisation, and we know what happened with ETSA. When it was privatised, the prices went up. They want to privatise SA Water, and you can see what's going to happen into the future: there will be no consumer protections whatsoever.