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- 28 June 2007
Kurnell Desalination Plant
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Dr JOHN KAYE: My question is directed to the Treasurer and refers to an answer he gave to a question from me on Tuesday 26 June in respect of the Kurnell desalination plant. Firstly, is it not true there are two fundamental principles of sound economic management: one, avoid investment in infrastructure before it is needed, particularly if there is some risk that that infrastructure will never be needed; and, two, choose the lowest cost options wherever you can? So, when the Treasurer says the desalination plant would be "integrated into the Sydney water system," does that mean that, first, this infrastructure is needed now and there is no way we can delay the $1.76 billion investment and, second, there are no other lower cost options that could provide water and equivalent levels of security?
The Hon. MICHAEL COSTA: No, I did not write that question for him!
The Hon. Duncan Gay: Why did the Greens give Labor their preferences?
The Hon. MICHAEL COSTA: I suspect the real reason for that is they know just how hopeless the Opposition is! In answer to the question, first and foremost I would have to say that I find it quite extraordinary that the Greens should be asking about sound economic management.
The Hon. Catherine Cusack: Maybe it is because you do not know anything about sound economic management.
The Hon. MICHAEL COSTA: I certainly do not have a policy that seeks to do what the Greens do—that is, wipe out most of our economy. First, our export sector—
Dr John Kaye: Point of order: The answer is not relevant. The question asked about water, not coal.
The PRESIDENT: Order! There is no point of order. I remind the Treasurer to continue to be generally relevant.
The Hon. MICHAEL COSTA: The question referred to economics and certainly I am entitled to refer to the Greens economic policy, because that is the benchmark of a failed economic policy. If people want to see an economic policy that will destroy not only this State but probably the nation if it is ever implemented, they need only look at the Greens policy. That unfundable policy, which is based on economic illiteracy, would lead to significant job destruction. I made some comments the other day about a desalination plant. The Government has made a decision to go ahead with desalination to drought-proof the Sydney metropolitan area. It has chosen a range of strategies to meet that objective.
The Hon. Duncan Gay: There was snow at Crookwell yesterday. It will all be flowing into the catchment.
The Hon. MICHAEL COSTA: That is what I love about these people. When the drought was at its worst, I kept saying, "It will rain". But the Greens and idiots like Tim Flannery said, "It will never rain."
The Hon. Melinda Pavey: He is the Australian of the Year.
The Hon. MICHAEL COSTA: You made him Australian of the Year, not me! Well it has started to rain and now they are saying that it is going to rain forever. These people do not understand climate cycles. When it comes to the climate they are alarmists and cannot see beyond the end of their noses. They create division, panic and fear so that they can rustle up a few naïve people to vote for them at election time. Climates change. If there is one constant about climates, it is that they change. I do not mean that they are changing now, but they have changed over history. We will continue to see climates change, and rain cycles will vary from drought, to normality, to heavy rainfall incidents. That is the reality of the world and that is what we have to plan for. We do not plan on a day-to-day basis, as the Greens do. It is easy for them to make unaffordable promises and to come up with an economic model that could apply only in cloud-cuckoo-land. It is easy for the Greens to make policies that no-one need fear will be implemented. But that does not stop them putting up ridiculous propositions every question time. The Government's policy is clear. We have a range of alternatives to secure our water supply, including capturing water for our dam system, recycling and, now, desalination.
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