Cosgrove Clayton: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to MembersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeCosgrove Clayton: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members[Sitting date: 25 June 2013. Volume:691;Page:11186. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]9.Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE (Labour)to theMinister for State Owned Enterprises: Does he stand by all his statements regarding Solid Energy?Hon TONY RYALL (Minister for State Owned Enterprises):Yes within the context that they were given. I also stand by my statement that praise was heaped on Don Elder and Mr Palmer not long ago. Actually it was in April last year: “You are performing well.”—a statement by one Hon Clayton Cosgrove at a select committee.Hon Clayton Cosgrove: Does he stand by his statement that “I wouldn’t expect to see it happen again.” regarding Solid Energy’s spending of $48000 on communication consultants Saunders Unsworth?Hon TONY RYALL: Yes.Hon Clayton Cosgrove: Has he made it clear to Solid Energy that it should cease hiring consultants who are specifically contracted to come up with strategies to evade and undermine parliamentary scrutiny and public oversight of company activities?Hon TONY RYALL: I have made clear to the chairman of Solid Energy that I thought the spending of $48000 for the purposes described in respect of Saunders Unsworth was really a responsibility that he would have to take but I did not expect to see such expenditure again.Hon Clayton Cosgrove: Can he confirm that he and his ministerial staff were fully aware of the activities of Solid Energy senior management and Saunders Unsworth in their attempts and efforts to evade and obstruct media and parliamentary scrutiny of the State-owned enterprise’s activities?Hon TONY RYALL: Yes of course my office was copied in on a number of emails—a small number of emails. But I have got to say that my office is copied in to a lot of things including—Hon Clayton Cosgrove: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. He has answered the question. I seek leave to table—[Interruption ]Mr SPEAKER: First of all I want to deal with whether the member is saying that he is happy with the answer and does not need any further information—Hon Clayton Cosgrove: Ecstatic. Ecstatic.Mr SPEAKER: Then he is now seeking leave to table what?Hon Clayton Cosgrove: I seek leave to table an email from Vicki Blyth Communications Manager at Solid Energy of 11 March 2013 which is copied in to the Minister’s office to one Mark Unsworth illustrating the point made in my question.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that email. Is there any objection? There is none.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Hon Clayton Cosgrove: Has the Minister been advised that Saunders Unsworth has briefed companies and stakeholders about him as Minister claiming that in relation to his handling of the Solid Energy debacle he has been “incompetent”?Hon TONY RYALL: I would not want to comment on any hypothetical allegations from that member but I would—Hon Clayton Cosgrove: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. [Interruption ]Mr SPEAKER: Order! I apologise to the Minister.Hon Clayton Cosgrove: I am satisfied with the answer.Mr SPEAKER: I do not even think that the answer has been fully given. We are going to get to the stage when—[Interruption ] Order! We are going to get into difficulty here if a member asks a question and then does not like the answer and so immediately stands up and says that they are satisfied. But on this occasion if the member is satisfied with the answer I intend to move forward. [Interruption ] Order! No we are moving forward.