Energy Policy

Mr COWDREY (Colton) (14:36): My question is to the Minister for Energy and Mining. Can the minister update the house on the total cost associated with the previous government's energy plan?

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart—Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:36): Thank you to the member for Colton for this very important question. The previous government's energy plan, and its cost, was the subject of great interest before the last election. We told everybody that we did not believe that the government could do it at the time in $550 million, as they said they would. That was the cost they put forward for their entire energy plan before the election, and today the Attorney-General has tabled the Livesey report. I don't expect, of course, that everybody will have had a chance to look through every page of that report. But it does make it very clear that Mr Livesey—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Is the member for West Torrens interjecting?

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: Yes, sir. I am.

The SPEAKER: I remind the member for West Torrens that he is on one warning.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: But that report does make it very clear that we are looking at $609.5 million at least signed up to the full term of the diesel generators. I have already made a ministerial statement on that, so I won't go into any more detail on that. But you add to that PACE gas, the Renewable Technology Fund, other costs, administration—who can forget the advertising budget that the previous government had?—and we come up to $814.5 million in total: $609.5 million for the generators, $68.9 million for—

Mr Duluk interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Waite will not interject.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: —the regional technology fund grants, $72.5 million for the renewable technology loans, $24 million for PACE, $10.3 million for administration, $2.5 million for communications—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens is warned for a second and final time.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: —which means government advertising itself, $26.8 million for the batteries, years 5 to 10—so $814.5 million. Let me say, some of the things that were in that former government's energy policy we supported. For example, the Premier said for years that the previous government should get grid-scale storage, large-scale storage, attached to renewable energy, particularly wind farms. When the government announced that, we supported it.

When the government announced the PACE gas grants, we supported it. But the largest component, which seems to be the biggest blowout in the budget based on Mr Livesey's report, was the diesel generators. We did not support those generators. What we did say after the government had committed to the lease is that we would honour the lease, if elected. What we did say after the previous government had committed to the purchase is that we would honour the purchase, if elected. But let me just tell you, when a Labor government tells you it is going to cost $550 million and it turns out to be $814.5 million, that is a gaping hole.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: What seems worst of all about this is that the Livesey report says that the government did not take advice. Further, members might remember a Valdman cartoon—two phases: one was the bright, glossy, snowy battery world of the previous government's plan and then the other one was the dark, gloomy grim reaper diesel world. This is just like that: they want to talk about the good stuff and not the bad stuff. They tried to say it would cost $550 million when actually it appears to be $814.5 million.

The SPEAKER: I call to order the member for Playford.