Australian Energy Market Operator Report

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:23): My question is to the Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy. Can the minister confirm which parliament sets the legislation that establishes the national energy rules, rules which he describes as being broken?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy) (14:23): I will give a brief lesson to the Leader of the Opposition on the intergovernmental arrangements for the COAG process. The COAG Energy Council is made up of all jurisdictions, and those jurisdictions that are members—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Hang on a second.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Hang on a second.

The Hon. J.J. Snelling: Listen and you might learn something, Steven.

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Health is warned.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: It is very, very important that the Leader of the Opposition asks that question because it says a lot about his motives. He knows full well—

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Chaffey is warned.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: He knows full well that all national reforms have a lead legislating jurisdiction. Sometimes it is the commonwealth, sometimes it is Victoria, sometimes it is Queensland, sometimes it is South Australia or other jurisdictions. We are the lead legislator in this state. All legislation is agreed by the COAG. We don't make the decisions here in our cabinet on our own; they are made—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Members laugh. They are laughing at the bills they voted for. This is the process of thought that they have. They have been in opposition for 15 years. They have been briefed on—

The SPEAKER: The Treasurer's druzhina will not help him.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: They get briefed on the COAG processes. They get briefed on the COAG reports. Indeed, the deputy leader has turned up to COAG meetings. I remember when I was transport minister, she came to a COAG meeting ready for the induction into the COAG. It was the inauguration of the deputy leader. Of course, she wasn't banking on the leader telling everyone to vote Labor but, apart from that, she attended, so she knows the way that this is structured. Of course, importantly, members opposite are briefed on all of this.

When we come together as a country and set the rules for the National Electricity Market, we do so by consensus. Those rules are no longer working for us. Is the leader really saying that we should be saying that because we are lead legislator, we can't exercise our sovereignty; because we are lead legislator, we can't criticise the National Electricity Market; because we are lead legislator, we can't attract privatisation; because we are lead legislator, we can't say privatisation isn't working; because we are lead legislator, we can't say AEMO dropped the ball; because we are lead legislator, we can't say that the market isn't working for Australians anymore? Why is that? Why can't we say that? We are a sovereign state and we will exercise our sovereignty.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The members for Davenport and Chaffey are warned for the second and final time. The member for Stuart is still with us.