House of Assembly Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1) 54 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Electricity Generation Electricity Generation The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly West Torrens Electricity Generation The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens) (14:30): My question is to the Minister for Energy. Was a probity officer present when the energy minister had personal and private discussions with energy retailers regarding the sale or lease of the state-owned generators prior to the public announcement yesterday? The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN House of Assembly Stuart Minister for Energy and Mining Electricity Generation The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart—Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:30): First, I was very clear in my first answer that I have had discussions with organisations interested in accessing the generators. I also made it very clear in my first answer— The Hon. A. Koutsantonis House of Assembly The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: Was a probity officer there? The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN House of Assembly The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: I also made it very clear in my first answer that I was not disclosing whether I did or did not have discussions with retailers because that would get some people a bit hot under the collar, perhaps quite unnecessarily. I have been very clear about that. Let us just say very clearly— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The member for West Torrens is warned. If he keeps going, he will be departing. I would hate to ask him to leave the chamber if he has further questions to ask today. The minister has the call. The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN House of Assembly The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Let's just be very clear— An honourable member interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN House of Assembly The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: —that the shadow minister's question is clearly in contravention— Mr Malinauskas interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Leader! The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN House of Assembly The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: —of standing order 97 because— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The Deputy Premier and the leader will cease interjecting. The minister has the call. The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN House of Assembly The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: The shadow minister's question is clearly in contravention of standing order 97 because it contains— The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: I will determine that, and that is done by a point of order. Please answer the question, minister. The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN House of Assembly The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: While I reject that argument, if you take his supposition about who I met with out of it, my answer to the remaining part of the question is that I had appropriate officers with me in discussions when that was necessary.