Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-03-09 Daily Xml

Contents

SA Water Infrastructure

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (14:29): Will the minister apologise to distressed residents for his statement to the media that, and I quote, 'disruption has been minimal'?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (14:29): The Hon. Mr Lucas wasn't there when I was asked that question. I was looking around the street before us that was being cleaned up by crews straightaway, and I pointed out to the media present, 'You can see for yourselves—disruption has been minimal, it has been cleaned up already.' But then I went on to express my sympathy for the residents.

The Hon. Mr Lucas here just picks that little bit of a comment out that tries to make his point. He ignores the rest, where I said to the waiting media, 'Of course we understand the incredible inconvenience to the lives of people who have had their lives disrupted,' and how we will make every effort possible to help them through this process. The Hon. Mr Lucas ignores that—he absolutely ignores that. This is his pattern in life: he goes out there and picks little bits of information and tries to blow them up into great crises. He won't give us the full information. The Liberals over there never do. They mislead by omission.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Lucas.