Electricity Supply

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (14:20): My question is to the Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy. What is the minister's response to claims by the Minerals Council of Australia that the 'push to renewable energy without transitional arrangements has led to a power price crisis that is deterring investment in South Australia'?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:20): It is no surprise that we hear from the Minerals Council of Australia because they have their man in the Prime Minister's office. The adviser on energy now in the Prime Minister's office comes directly from the Minerals Council of Australia. Those opposite do not actually understand that what is going on here is that coal-funded taxpayers' levies are being funnelled into a slush fund which is then being used to influence public opinion as these coal-fired generators want to run these things right into the ground to make sure they extract every dollar out of them.

Forget security in the National Energy Market, forget reliability, forget price, forget cleanliness, they are interested in their dollar, and that is what is driving policy in this nation, because the Prime Minister is hanging on by a thread. He has been totally captured by the coal lobby and those on the other side of the house have been implicated in that design.