House of Assembly Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1) 55 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Question Time Energy Prices Energy Prices The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS House of Assembly Black Leader of the Opposition Energy Prices The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Leader of the Opposition) (14:04): My question is to the Premier. What energy policies does the Premier have to bring down energy bills over the next two years? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain. Leave granted. The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS House of Assembly Black Leader of the Opposition The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: In recent days, The Advertiser reported that Davoren Park mother of three Jess Nash is worried her power bill could rise by $2,800 over the next two years as a result of Labor's federal budget. Jess has, and I quote: …already turned off the lights and unplugged her freezer to cut energy consumption and is unsure how she will cover another increase to her power bill. The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS House of Assembly Croydon Premier The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:05): I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. I saw that report. It is amongst countless thousands, probably millions, of stories similar around the nation from households, particularly in low socio-economic communities but really any household across the state, but also particularly business and particularly small businesses, where we know that in most instances the cost of energy represents the second biggest cost outside of labour. The prospect of such a large increase in power prices and also gas prices is more than disconcerting. It acts as a real threat to someone's standard of living or even the viability of their business. The one thing I will comment on before going into the specifics of the Leader of the Opposition's question is that I don't think it was the federal budget that delivered the 56 per cent increase in power prices. It was the federal budget that illuminated the Australian public with the prospect of that power price rise. What of course has caused it, which was also covered— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier has the call. The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS House of Assembly Croydon Premier The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: What of course caused the power price, as was referred to in the same publication the Leader of the Opposition refers to, The Advertiser, is what has really been a decade, if not longer, of failed energy policy in this country, which of course has been coupled with a grotesque failure of policy in respect of trying to address the decarbonisation of our nation, which apparently everybody is committed to. The difference of course is that we know that one side of politics has been far more committed to the politics of division around decarbonisation rather than actually showing— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The member for Hartley! Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The member for Chaffey knows better. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order, member for Florey! The Premier has the call. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The Treasurer is called to order. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Chaffey, you are warned. The Premier has the call. The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS House of Assembly Croydon Premier The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: So much as a mention of failure of energy policy and the politics of decarbonisation and we see the chamber light up with snide remarks coming from— The Hon. J.A.W. Gardner interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Member for Morialta! The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS House of Assembly Croydon Premier The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —the opposition. The Hon. S.C. Mullighan interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The Treasurer is called to order. The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS House of Assembly Croydon Premier The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: But the consequences of that policy inaction are now playing out before our eyes, and the consequences are very, very real. Here in South Australia we have been doing our level best to pursue decarbonisation of our state, particularly the energy sector, in such a way that has a clear mind to a solemn obligation we all have around climate but at the same time trying to ameliorate the worst impacts of policy failure in terms of the prices that South Australians have to pay. What we know thus far is that the impact of those price increases is set to be more substantial in the Eastern States than is the case here in South Australia in no small part because of the leadership that South Australia has played in the pursuit of renewables. Of course we would like to see renewables deliver greater cost reductions than we have experienced thus far, but in no small part that is a function of the way the market is set up, which is why we do have a policy to address that. The way we have structured our hydrogen power or our Hydrogen Jobs Plan is specifically orientated towards seeing more investment in renewables in such a way that actually delivers lower prices to the wholesale market. That is the way we structured the policy, and that is something that we are more than happy to have examined and explored by the opposition, amongst anybody else, in due course. Mrs Hurn interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order, member for Schubert!