Office of Hydrogen Power

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley—Leader of the Opposition) (14:16): Supplementary: will any jobs be cut in the Office of Hydrogen Power and what would be the cost of any redundancies?

The SPEAKER: That is not a supplementary. If you are reading from a printed piece of paper that you brought in here—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: No, it was a separate question. I might also add that that third question that you asked was covered in the ministerial statement where it said that the Office of Hydrogen Power SA will continue to operate. We did have some things in an earlier parliament where people asked questions that were already in the public domain. The Minister for Energy.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:17): There are a lot of contractors involved with the Office of Hydrogen Power SA who are obviously doing a lot of work through the procurement process. A lot of those people will go off and do other things. Obviously there are a great deal of talented people with a lot of expertise in the department. I have to say they are an amazing group of people: public servants who have worked tirelessly for the people of South Australia, who understand first and foremost that those steel jobs that we have now in Whyalla are a priority, not only for this government but for the national government, and not only for the national government but for the people of Australia.

Sovereign steelmaking capacity in this country means that we are a sovereign nation with our own economic ability to make our own steel. So the Office of Hydrogen Power SA understands what it is we are doing and why we are doing it. But it also means that there will be some redundancies; there will be some people who move on to other parts of the government, and others who will move on altogether. But it is important that we maintain the office. Why? Because hydrogen has a future. Members opposite who decry hydrogen, of course, cannot hide from things they said previously.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Here we go. Let me give you a small vignette. This is the shadow minister for energy and mining. Ready? 'Hydrogen, hydrogen, hydrogen. South Australia continues to lead the way.' Then he goes on to wax lyrical about the importance of hydrogen.

Mr TEAGUE: Point of order: standing order 98. Entertaining as it is, it is not responsive to the question and it is impermissibly debating. The minister needs to answer the question.

The SPEAKER: I think he has answered the question. He is just using the rest of the three minutes to make some other points.

Mr TEAGUE: I seek that you uphold the point of order and move on.

The SPEAKER: But he's got three minutes left on the clock.

Mr TEAGUE: He must answer the question.

The SPEAKER: He has answered the question. He said there will be some redundancies.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: It is interesting that the deputy leader gets up for points of order but ignores standing orders when everyone else is speaking and continually interjects. That's why he is on two warnings already—two warnings. It's probably why your peers think what they think of you. Anyway.

Hydrogen has a big future. There are lots of quotes from the Leader of the Opposition, to the shadow minister for energy and mining, former Treasurer Rob Lucas and former Premier Steven Marshall, who entertained the idea of having a hydrogen facility at Port Bonython. The shadow minister wasn't so much interested in hydrogen for its use to decarbonise steel, but more so in transport, trucks and trains. The truth is: hydrogen is a fuel of the future, but we've got a problem that is confronting us right now and the people of South Australia would expect us—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: There he is again! He gets up and demands that standing orders be enforced but won't do it himself.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: He continues just to yell out. Yelling is not a substitute for policy. It is not a substitute. Get up and have an alternative idea. Let's have a debate about the future of energy. Don't just scream into the wind, let's have a debate.

Yesterday we had a moment of rare bipartisanship where we were able to act in the state's interests. It lasted seconds and the hypocrisy continues. There it is.

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader.

Mr TEAGUE: It is standing order 98, as expected. It looks like he's finished.

The SPEAKER: No, he finished about 30 seconds in. He gave the answer; now he is just providing some added commentary, I think.

Mr TEAGUE: I am with you, sir. I think he sat down.

The SPEAKER: Have you finished? The member for MacKillop.