Adjourned debate on second reading.
 
  The Hon. SANDRA KANCK: This Bill arrived in the Council on 25 November: it has effectively been in this Chamber for four working days. It was not in the House of Assembly for a particularly long time either, having arrived there on 18 November. When it did arrive in the Council, I asked my researcher to ring the Minister's office and find out whether there was any sense of urgency about the Bill, because I had to determine, amongst all the other things I was dealing with (a couple of different transport related Bills, an arts Bill, an arts motion and, of course, the four electricity related Bills) where my priorities lay.
 My researcher was told by the Minister's office that this Bill was not a priority. Obviously, there was some sort of a mix-up in the messages given by the Minister's office. I was under the impression until about 9 o'clock last night when the Attorney-General asked me whether I was ready to deal with this Bill that I had until February. Until that point I had not even opened it up and looked at it.
 Later in the evening, I checked the fax machine and found that a fax had arrived from the Chief of Staff of the Minister's office advising that it was his understanding that the matter would be debated today in the Legislative Council. He provided a briefing note on it which does not appear to say much more than the Minister's second reading explanation.
 Having been led to believe that I had until February to deal with this matter, I had not even begun to consider consulting with anyone. The arrival of the fax last night was the first indication from the Minister's office that there was any sense of urgency. Certainly, no attempt had been made to contact my office to offer me a briefing on the Bill.
 I consider that, given there are environmental ramifications in the licences concerned, a few other bodies ought to have been consulted. The briefing note sent to me by the Minister's Chief of Staff states at the end:

 The proposed amendment has been agreed to by Santos Ltd, Boral and the South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy.

Well, goody, goody for them, but I think perhaps that a few environmental groups might have liked to be consulted. Because I have not had the opportunity to study this Bill at close hand and because I am very unhappy about the way this has been processed up to this point in terms of communication with me, I indicate that the Democrats will oppose the second reading.
 

 In Committee (resumed on motion).
 
  The Hon. K.T. GRIFFIN: I asked for the Committee consideration of the Bill to be taken on motion because I believed the Hon. Terry Cameron wished to make a contribution. He has intimated to me informally that that is not now the case and that, whilst he wished to raise several questions, he will do that directly and informally with the Minister.
 Clauses 1 and 2 and title passed.
 Bill read a third time and passed.