The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Ripper, questions the Treasurer, Mr. Porter, about the potential expansion of the Southern Seawater Desalination Plant and the urgency of a decision from the Water Corporation. The Treasurer avoids directly answering, citing budgetary confidentiality.

AnsweredQoN 171Legislative Assembly
Asked
5 April 2011
Portfolio
Treasurer

QuestionView source ↗

SOUTHERN SEAWATER DESALINATION PLANT
I have a supplementary question. By his answer, has the Treasurer not conceded that it will be necessary for the government to proceed with the expansion of the southern seawater desalination plant at a very large cost; and is he not aware that an urgent submission is being prepared by the Water Corporation for his consideration, and that the Water Corporation will require a decision within weeks to avoid a water crisis? Mr C.C. PORTER

AnswerView source ↗

Are we all left to assume that the Leader of the Opposition was going to ask that supplementary question no matter what my answer was to the original question? Mr E.S. Ripper : Well, I didn’t get an answer! If you’d given a better answer, I might not have used that supplementary question. Mr C.C. PORTER : The Leader of the Opposition must have realised that he asked a question seeking details about budgetary processes that I could not and would not reveal. I understand the second part of the question, but of course the answer is the same, and that is that I will not reveal those details until the budget is revealed.
Mr C.C. PORTER replied: Are we all left to assume that the Leader of the Opposition was going to ask that supplementary question no matter what my answer was to the original question? Mr E.S. Ripper : Well, I didn’t get an answer! If you’d given a better answer, I might not have used that supplementary question. Mr C.C. PORTER : The Leader of the Opposition must have realised that he asked a question seeking details about budgetary processes that I could not and would not reveal. I understand the second part of the question, but of course the answer is the same, and that is that I will not reveal those details until the budget is revealed.
Are we all left to assume that the Leader of the Opposition was going to ask that supplementary question no matter what my answer was to the original question? Mr E.S. Ripper : Well, I didn’t get an answer! If you’d given a better answer, I might not have used that supplementary question. Mr C.C. PORTER : The Leader of the Opposition must have realised that he asked a question seeking details about budgetary processes that I could not and would not reveal. I understand the second part of the question, but of course the answer is the same, and that is that I will not reveal those details until the budget is revealed.
Mr E.S. Ripper : Well, I didn’t get an answer! If you’d given a better answer, I might not have used that supplementary question. Mr C.C. PORTER : The Leader of the Opposition must have realised that he asked a question seeking details about budgetary processes that I could not and would not reveal. I understand the second part of the question, but of course the answer is the same, and that is that I will not reveal those details until the budget is revealed.
Mr C.C. PORTER : The Leader of the Opposition must have realised that he asked a question seeking details about budgetary processes that I could not and would not reveal. I understand the second part of the question, but of course the answer is the same, and that is that I will not reveal those details until the budget is revealed.

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