Electricity Prices

Dr HARVEY (Newland) (14:43): My question is to the Minister for Energy and Mining. Can the minister please update the house on the latest data on electricity prices, and are there any alternative plans?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Elizabeth is called to order.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart—Deputy Premier, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:44): Yes, I can. Thank you very much, member for Newland. What we know is that ESCOSA has said that, since we came to government, we have decreased electricity prices by $303. But with regard to the latest data—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: —on electricity prices for households and businesses in South Australia, which the member asked about today, I have good news. The independent Australian Energy Regulator has confirmed that the average power bills have come down nearly 20 per cent since we came to government. The AER's annual retail energy market—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: —performance data confirms that the median annual bill is now $1,784—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens is called to order.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: —which is $422 less than the $2,206 that it was when Labor left power. What is more, the AER data shows that there are fewer households in hardship than under Labor.

The Hon. S.C. Mullighan interjecting:

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

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: What else do we know—

Mr Boyer interjecting:

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

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: —because you did ask about other alternative plans. We are very clear about the fact that we have a multipronged energy policy—small-scale storage, large-scale storage, demand management, supply integration, grid-scale storage—

The Hon. S.C. Mullighan interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Lee!

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: They are all working together. What we also know on the other side is that former Premier Rann said that he would build an interconnector but never did. What we know is that former Premier Weatherill said that he would be completely focused on climate change and then spent $600 million on dirty diesel generators without telling anybody.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: What we also know is that when they bought the dirty diesel generators the price of electricity went up. So there are alternative plans out there. There have been and there still are.

The Hon. S.C. Mullighan interjecting:

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

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: One of the plans afoot at the moment, and I use the word 'plan' very loosely, is those opposite wanting to build a hydrogen project.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: Deputy Premier, there is a point of order. I will hear the point of order under 134.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Sir, the minister has no responsibility whatsoever over any Labor Party policies at all. He has no responsibility to the house at all, sir.

The SPEAKER: Very well.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.C. Mullighan interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Lee is called to order. I will listen carefully. The Deputy Premier has the call.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I was very clearly asked: 'Are there any alternative plans?' One of the alternative plans—I have talked about two previous ones, which were disasters, and I am going to talk about the current one, which—

Mr Brown interjecting:

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

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: —if ever allowed to be put into effect would also be a disaster, and one of the reasons for that is that those opposite have a $500 million black hole in their costings.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Those opposite refuse to release their costings—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Those opposite are hiding—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens is called to order.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Those opposite should share with the public—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Any member can address me on a point of order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members! Deputy Premier, please be seated. Member for West Torrens, you are on a second warning. Members, I draw your attention to standing order 142, which prohibits noise or interruptions. The level of noise and interruption is considerable. The Deputy Premier has the call.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: There is nobody opposite who should be more ashamed of the situation they are in than the member for West Torrens, who is the architect of the disgraceful disaster in energy that was thrust upon the people of South Australia before the last election.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Deputy Premier, there is a point of order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Standing order 96:

2. questions may be put to other Members but only if such questions relate to any Bill, motion or other public business for which those Members, in the opinion of the Speaker, are responsible to the House.

The energy minister is not responsible to the parliament for any Labor Party policy at all.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: You are ashamed of your policy.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I am going to hear the Deputy Premier. The time on the question is fast expiring. There is some force in the point of order. I will hear the Deputy Premier.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: As energy minister, I am actually responsible for the fact that people in South Australia need to know about—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The leader is called to order.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: —alternative plans.

The Hon. S.C. Mullighan interjecting:

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

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: If those opposite believe in their plan, they will release their modelling. If those opposite believe in their costings—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: —they will release their costings. What they have done is release some—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader is called to order.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: —glossy photos that say, 'It'll all be great,' and some information that says, 'And it won't cost much.' Well, neither of those things are true.

Mr Brown interjecting:

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

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: There is a $500 million black hole in their policy—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: —and nobody should believe otherwise. They should release their costings.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Members will cease interjecting.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I will hear the leader on a point of order.

Mr MALINAUSKAS: No, I've got a question, sir.

The SPEAKER: A question. Very well. Before we do that, the member for Lee can leave the chamber for 15 minutes under 137A—in fact, 14 minutes so that he can return to crossbench questions, which I know he enjoys.

The honourable member for Lee having withdrawn from the chamber: