House of Assembly Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2) 53 2 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Electricity Prices Electricity Prices Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN House of Assembly Stuart Electricity Prices Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (15:02): My question is for the Minister for Energy. Does the minister agree with economist Bruce Mountain, who says that South Australia has the most expensive electricity in the world? The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly West Torrens Minister for Finance Minister for State Development Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy Electricity Prices The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy) (15:02): No, I do not. Bruce Mountain is wrong and he is wrong on a number of the assumptions he has made. He is using 2016 prices. He has done some very complicated exchange-rate transfer on this, and quite frankly it doesn't stack up. Indeed, when you compare South Australia's wholesale prices and the spot price since 1 July, you have seen a dramatic shift in pricing from South Australia being one of the highest in the country to that title now belonging to Victoria and other jurisdictions. Mr Knoll House of Assembly Mr Knoll: And we're second. The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Well, which one is it? Either we have the highest power prices in the world— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The leader is—oh, dear me! Mr MARSHALL House of Assembly Mr MARSHALL: Should I take a minute? The honourable member for Dunstan having withdrawn from the chamber: The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I do not agree with Mr Bruce Mountain. I think Mr Mountain's assertions are wrong, and I do note that there aren't many people in the industry who concur with Mr Mountain's assertions.