House of Assembly Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1) 55 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time TAFE SA TAFE SA The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER House of Assembly Morialta Deputy Leader of the Opposition TAFE SA The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:00): Supplementary: do any of the appointments have any connections with the Labor Party, either as members, donors, former members or participants in a preference deal swap with the Labor Party? Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! I anticipate a point of order. The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly West Torrens Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Minister for Energy and Mining The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Sir, the minister is not responsible to the house for the membership or otherwise of any of those people appointed to any boards. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! I will hear the member for Morialta on the point of order. The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER House of Assembly Morialta Deputy Leader of the Opposition The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: On the point of order, the people in question have been appointed as paid positions to a government board, and the qualifications they have and the reasons for the minister's appointments, the government's appointments, are a valid question for this house. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! It may be that the question can be put differently. I will give the member for Morialta the opportunity in the last minute of question time. However, I observe that the question as formulated would be contrary to the standing orders, if I were to permit it. The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER House of Assembly Morialta Deputy Leader of the Opposition The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Thank you, sir. Can the minister update the house as to the purpose for the appointment of the members of the TAFE board? With leave, I will explain. Leave granted. The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER House of Assembly Morialta Deputy Leader of the Opposition The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Previous oppositions have drawn connections to any political involvement of appointments to paid government boards, and it is appropriate that the minister considers that in his answer. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: That contribution by way of leave could be contested. It therefore follows that it is not necessarily a series of facts, and on that basis I am going to rule it out of order. There are 10 seconds remaining.