Carbon Emissions

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (14:34): Why has the government continually said that it is steering South Australia towards lower emissions when it is actually steering South Australia towards higher emissions?

Mr Wingard interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Mitchell is warned for the second and final time.

Mr Knoll interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Schubert is warned.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy) (14:35): What the opposition are attempting to say is that, because there will be less sun or less wind over the next 12 months because of the forecast, somehow we are budgeting for a decrease. We don't receive revenue on the basis of how much renewable energy is in there. This is a forecast.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Point of order, sir: this is debate. When the minister says 'What the opposition is trying to say,' that is debate.

The SPEAKER: I agree with the member for Stuart. I uphold the point of order. Would the minister supply us with some information about something other than the opposition's policies?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: If you were listening, sir, what I was saying—

The SPEAKER: I am always listening.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I am glad you are, sir, and I will explain to you why—because what I said is that the opposition are making assumptions about how these measures are put in the budget and they are making false assumptions. It is very, very clear that they are assuming that our renewable energy target is a market mechanism: it is not. It is a false assumption.

Mr Pederick: It's called diesel, Tom. It's diesel.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Diesel? It's diesel, is it?

Mr Pederick: Yes, diesel generators.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I think I now understand what the opposition is saying. They are trying to assume that, because there will be more synchronous energy in the system, there will be less wind and solar. I think that's the point they are trying to make—falsely again. It really is embarrassing the level of literacy about this matter that members opposite have. It is not how the renewable energy target works.

The SPEAKER: The Treasurer will be seated. The Treasurer will not insult the opposition about their literacy and, instead of deconstructing the opposition's question, he should either answer or finish. Treasurer.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Thank you, sir. Thank you for your impartial advice.

The SPEAKER: It is always available to you.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Yes, I know. I remember.

Mr Pisoni: Whether you want it or not, Tom.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: That's true. I know how you feel. The renewable energy target is a measure that we have set. We have no mechanism behind it. We get forecasts from AEMO about the levels of generation that will be available over the next 12 months and we put forecasts in and it is that simple.