Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2017-10-18 Daily Xml

Contents

Sagasco

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (15:01): Supplementary question: based on the minister's answer, does the minister now accept responsibility on behalf of the Labor government for the significant gas prices in South Australia, as was highlighted by the then senior union person, Mr Russell Wortley, over the privatisation of Sagasco under Labor in South Australia? Do you accept responsibility for one thing in your life?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (15:02): I haven't heard the honourable member—the honourable member who promised South Australians he would never privatise ETSA—jump to his feet and accept responsibility for price increases, because he promised, after his promise to the community that he would never do it, that the privatisation would drive down electricity prices. He promised that prices would drop. Has he put his hand up? Has he put his hand up to say, 'Sorry, I made a mistake. I promised you, after not privatising ETSA and then privatising ETSA, that your bills would come down. Oops, sorry, they haven't; they've gone through the roof.' South Australians know that electricity costs have gone up because the honourable member voted to support the privatisation of ETSA after promising they would never do that. I do not see him in here saying, 'Oops, I fess up; that was my fault.'

The Hon. R.L. Brokenshire: It wasn't my fault.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Ms Lee.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Ms Lee has the floor.