House of Assembly Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1) 53 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Oil and Gas Sector Oil and Gas Sector Mr MARSHALL House of Assembly Dunstan Leader of the Opposition Oil and Gas Sector Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (15:05): Supplementary, sir: how many oil and gas exploration licences have been granted in the last four years to companies without relevant prior operating experience? The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly West Torrens Minister for Finance Minister for State Development Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy Minister for Small Business Oil and Gas Sector The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (15:05): Like I just said, sir, that is, in my opinion, a loaded question. What he is attempting to do is cast aspersions on people who may or may not have won a petroleum retention licence on the basis of prior— Members interjecting: The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I will get an answer, Mr Speaker, but I would not be surprised if it is only very few. Again, the Cooper Basin— Members interjecting: The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Inexperience, Mr Speaker—reckless interjections. What— The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The minister will not comment on the attributes of the Leader of the Opposition; he will answer the question. The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Yes, Mr Speaker. The government takes into account the history of the people making the applications, regardless of the company's past performances, whether they be many or none. The reason we do so is because companies are formed all the time, and the people that they take on their boards and the people they put in their field—the explorers, the geologists, the managing directors, the CFOs—come with vast experience, and we take that into account also. But, I will get a detailed answer to the anti-gas, anti-business Leader of the Opposition. Members interjecting: Mr GARDNER House of Assembly Mr GARDNER: Point of order, sir— Mr MARSHALL House of Assembly Mr MARSHALL: I would ask the minister to withdraw those remarks. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Well, they are not unparliamentary; they are just out of order and unnecessary. Mr GARDNER House of Assembly Mr GARDNER: Sir, given that you have previously ruled that the Treasurer will confine himself to the relevant answer and he is on two warnings, can I ask you, sir, whether there is any further action to be taken under 137? The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: I am on the minister's case.