Alinta Energy

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:46): Supplementary: what was the capacity of the Northern power station when the government refused Alinta's solution?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy) (14:46): First of all, they weren't offering a solution: they were losing money and wanted us to subsidise them. The question then is: if you subsidise one power station, in effect offering them a capacity payment, what do you do when a larger generator turns up and says, 'If you're offering capacity to the Port Augusta power station, why don't you offer it to Torrens Island? Why don't you offer it to Pelican Point? Why don't you offer it to Origin?' and then you are paying a capacity payment to everyone.

Mr GARDNER: Point of order: standing order 98. The question was very simple and direct and the Treasurer is refusing to answer; instead, he is debating.

The SPEAKER: Treasurer.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The Northern power station could not offer us the services we needed and, indeed, what Northern was seeking to do was to see the taxpayer socialise their losses. If the Northern power station was so critical to the function of this state, why did members opposite sell it? If it was so critical that the taxpayers pay to run it, why did they sell it? If it was so important to be in state hands and state-run and to be funded by the taxpayer, why did they sell it?

The SPEAKER: The Treasurer is now debating the matter. Does he care to address the question of capacity?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I did, sir, thoroughly.