Electricity Network

Mr PATTERSON (Morphett) (14:06): My question is to the Minister for Energy and Mining. Having been energy minister for seven of the past 11 years, does he take responsibility at all for the current challenges faced by the national electricity network? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr PATTERSON: Over the last four years, no customer hours were lost in South Australia due to energy supply shortfalls, compared with the more than seven million customer hours lost during the previous term of the Labor government when he was energy minister.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:06): More front than David Jones—more front than David Jones. The climate denialists opposite, who have with their colleagues in Canberra sustained the climate wars of the last decade, have the gall to get up today and say anything about what is occurring. New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria are relying on coal for their production. A commonwealth government actively intervened in the market to keep that coal online and halt renewable interventions—and here we are. This is the chickens coming home to roost of Liberal ideology. To cover their tracks, members get up and say somehow, being in opposition for the last four years, it's our fault that this has occurred.

If members opposite had not noticed, Our Energy Plan that was implemented from 2016 and supported by members opposite maintained system stability and still does to this day with one fundamental change: we now no longer have backup sovereign generation—one big difference. So we won't be lectured by members opposite. I do point out that I really wish—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Hartley!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —well, actually, I don't wish—

Mr Pederick interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Hammond!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: But the truth is that so poor was their energy policy, so rejected—

Mr Patterson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Morphett!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —by the community, within the very city is the last coal-fired generator that existed in this state that was closed by a previous Labor government, that the then Deputy Premier and energy minister lost his seat and I think lost every booth in Port Augusta. The people of South Australia know that there needs to be a transition to renewable energy. The only people left are the 13 members opposite.