Question Time

Emissions Intensity Scheme

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:19): My question is to the Premier. Does the South Australian government still support an emissions intensity scheme, which climate change authority modelling has shown will increase average household bills by at least $190 per year?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Minister for the Arts) (14:19): What we support, as we have always supported for over a decade, is a price on carbon and sending a very clear message that we support a renewable energy sector in this state and in this nation.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: The community understands, the experts understand and billionaire investors understand that the future lies in investment in renewable energy. I know that those opposite are addicted to the coal industry. They are locked in to their federal colleagues and a prime minister who is hanging by a thread in the national parliament, who has Tony Abbott basically with his hands around his neck, strangling the life out of his prime ministership. That is the dynamic that is occurring in this nation and has been a feature of national politics for over a decade. This debate has been led by one of the most destructive politicians in the history of Australian politics, Tony Abbott. Do you seriously believe—

Mr MARSHALL: Point of order, sir.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —the emissions intensity scheme—

The SPEAKER: Point of order.

Mr MARSHALL: Debate.

The SPEAKER: Yes, I uphold the point of order.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: I will return to the emissions intensity scheme—that was the point of the question—the very emissions intensity scheme—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader will be quiet.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: When did that first pop onto the public radar? I can tell you, sir: in 2009, promoted by Malcolm Turnbull. Does anybody seriously believe that if the Prime Minister was free to act in his own conscience he would be doing what he is now promoting? They are strangling our renewable energy sector, and we will not cooperate with it—we will not cooperate with it. What we do know about price increases is that it is the Liberal Party's proposition of not putting a price on carbon that is driving up the price of electricity in this nation.

The means by which that occurs is this: when there is uncertainty in an investor community, when there are sensible investors who understand that the world is going to have to be decarbonised, when there are sensible investors who understand that most of the burden of adjustment is going to fall on the electricity sector, when you actually set a low-ball target like those opposite are cooperating with to try to keep coal chugging away for a few more years longer, nobody believes it.

Nobody believes it, therefore they don't invest in new plant and equipment. When they don't invest in new plant and equipment, what happens? The existing owners of the plant and equipment that generate power in this country have all the market power. What do they do? They drive up price. That is why those opposite are the party of high electricity prices in this nation. They are the party of privatisation—

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Point of order, sir.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —and when we seek to take back control of the electricity sector, they want to put it back in the hands of the private market.

The SPEAKER: Point of order.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Debate.

The SPEAKER: Yes, I uphold the point of order. The Premier is debating the question rather than providing the house with information. Before the next question is asked, there were interjections at a time when the Premier was not being provocative.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: There was a period when the Premier was providing information. I call to order the leader, the deputy leader and the member for Chaffey. I warn for the first time the leader, the deputy leader and the member for Chaffey, and I warn for the second and final time the leader, the deputy leader and the member for Chaffey. Leader.