Question Time

Electricity Market

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:20): My question is to the Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy. Does the minister stand by his claims made on 9 February, and repeated elsewhere, that ENGIE's second unit at its Pelican Point plant had gas and was able to enter the National Electricity Market?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy) (14:20): On Wednesday, the day of the load shedding, ENGIE wasn't directed on.

Mr Pengilly: Answer the question, Tom.

The SPEAKER: The member for Finniss is warned.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The next day, they were directed on and they had gas and they were available and they produced electricity. Members came into this house and asked me questions about whether I supported my statement that they could be ready within an hour, instead of the four hours that ENGIE had claimed, yet the transcripts, and of course in the AEMO evidence that they released, showed that ENGIE could start within an hour.

Everyone knows that ENGIE owns the Hazelwood coal-fired power station. Everyone knows that ENGIE are closing that power station in Victoria. Everyone in the industry also knows that ENGIE are making preparations for the possible return of that second unit. They are in negotiations for gas. They are in negotiations. There are engineers working on making sure that plant could operate. In fact, the evidence that that plant could operate wasn't directed on. It was members opposite trying to play games and play tricks, quite frankly—

Mr GARDNER: Standing order 98: the question was direct. The minister is not answering it: he is debating.

The SPEAKER: As a matter of fact, the minister did answer the question early on and his remarks now are superfluous.