Oil and Gas Sector

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (14:46): Can the minister advise whether in those instances which he just mentioned to the house those people who were guiding their operations were directors or employees, or were they agents or representatives?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (14:46): No, I don't have that information to hand, other than to say again that it calls into question the integrity of the bid process, Mr Speaker—

An honourable member: He just wants an answer.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I'm giving you the answer. The bid process—

The SPEAKER: No, you will give me the answer.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I did say that, sir. 'I'm giving you the answer,' I said.

The SPEAKER: Nice try.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Yes; Koutsantonis one, Atkinson nil. But we're used to that outcome, aren't we? Mr Speaker, it calls into question the bid process because, as I detailed to the house quite extensively yesterday, the bid process has a high standard of integrity, and when you start to question the bid process, what the opposition is attempting to tell the house is that the bid process has been flawed because Ambassador Oil won an exploration licence. That calls into question—

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: Point of order.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Ninety-eight: the opposition is not trying to tell the house anything; the opposition is trying to ask direct questions and get direct answers.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I will listen carefully to the minister, even though he is one-nil ahead.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: That was a disorderly point of order because he is making an argument.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I find it impressive that the Leader of the Opposition when he doesn't have the call can have a conversation with you, but is not warned. But anyway, Mr Speaker, we won't let the facts get in the way—

The SPEAKER: The minister will be seated!

Mr Gardner: You are a joke and a thug.

The SPEAKER: The member for Morialta will now rise in his place and apologise and withdraw for that remark.

Mr GARDNER: I apologise and withdraw, sir.

The SPEAKER: How I handle the interjections of the Leader of the Opposition is a matter for me, not a matter for the minister. Minister.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: My point is, Mr Speaker, if you call into question the petroleum exploration licence through inference through the question, you are calling into jeopardy the reputation of our regulator. I think our systems are world class. APPEA stands by this system, Santos stands by this system, Venture Energy stands by this system, Senex stands by this system and Chevron stands by this system. The only people calling this system into question are the Greens and the Liberal Party.