Electricity Prices

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (14:55): Supplementary: given the minister's answer, does the minister also agree with Danny Price who said on 25 January 2016:

The options that South Australia have are very limited now…simply because the Government keeps on driving towards a greater quantity of more expensive generation as part of their policy. The…South Australian Government is to blame for electricity prices, not things that are outside their control.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy) (14:56): I haven't seen the entire context of that quote. I would like to have a look at the context of that quote in its entirety, but I think it is fair to say that the plan we have released, which is co-authored by Danny Price of Frontier Economics, the same person who co-authored the Prime Minister's then energy intensity scheme when he was leader of the opposition, has said in absolute terms that our plan will lower prices.

Our plan will increase competition. Our plan will stabilise the grid. Our plan will incentivise more South Australian generation and less reliance on Victorian interconnection. Our plan is a plan that has captured the imagination of South Australians. I would like to compare and contrast it with members opposite, but they only have one plan—and that plan is to ban gas.

The Hon. P. Caica interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Colton is called to order.