House of Assembly Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2) 53 2 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Coober Pedy District Council Coober Pedy District Council Mr PISONI House of Assembly Unley Coober Pedy District Council Mr PISONI (Unley) (15:01): Was the minister not the Minister for Local Government on 29 March 2016 or sometime after March 2014? The Hon. G.G. BROCK House of Assembly Frome Minister for Regional Development Minister for Local Government Coober Pedy District Council The Hon. G.G. BROCK (Frome—Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Local Government) (15:01): Sorry, Mr Speaker, I didn't hear those words. Can the minister please repeat the question? Mr PISONI House of Assembly Mr PISONI: Did the minister notify the Treasurer of any concerns he had about the governance of the Coober Pedy council before the Treasurer issued a letter, dated 29 March 2016, consenting to the council entering into a 20-year energy contract and, if not, why not? The Hon. G.G. BROCK House of Assembly The Hon. G.G. BROCK: I have made some comments in this house previously, and I gave the member a briefing on the Coober Pedy situation. I have had regular contact with the council, through direct correspondence through the Office of Local Government, requesting assurance from the council about an issue with the auditing process. In July 2016, I had a briefing with Mr Neil Brown, the CEO. In August— Members interjecting: The Hon. G.G. BROCK House of Assembly The Hon. G.G. BROCK: The correspondence I had with the Coober Pedy council—I am just trying to understand. I gave the member for Unley a briefing on this direct issue and I am just trying to understand— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The member for Schubert has been warned twice. The member for Goyder is now interjecting. The member for Goyder will not interject. Minister. The Hon. G.G. BROCK House of Assembly The Hon. G.G. BROCK: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I have had a briefing with the member for Unley— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The member for Newland is called to order. The Hon. G.G. BROCK House of Assembly The Hon. G.G. BROCK: —and I had some concerns with the non response from the Coober Pedy council about financial returns and I have mentioned that to the member for Unley. At a particular period of time after that, I advised the Treasurer of the anomalies with the reporting through the Auditor-General through the audited returns, and that's when I had the correspondence with the Treasurer.