Green Hydrogen

Mr PATTERSON (Morphett) (14:35): My question is again to the Premier. Will the Premier admit to South Australians that the Whyalla Steelworks would not have used green hydrogen this decade? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr PATTERSON: InfraBuild's chief executive, Francisco Irazusta, said:

All the talk about green hydrogen is not very good. There is no way in hell today we can think that we can substitute natural gas with green hydrogen and the cost will be unthinkable.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:35): The Liberal Party is going back to the Sanjeev Gupta well and quoting his employee and saying, 'InfraBuild says, Sanjeev Gupta says'.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I don't trust anything Sanjeev Gupta says and quoting Sanjeev Gupta's employees here is really, I think, counterproductive. The opposition voted with us to remove those assets from Sanjeev Gupta.

Mr Patterson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Morphett, you are already on your final warning.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Members opposite voted with us to remove those assets from Sanjeev Gupta. They are now using his employees to attack the government.

It is not true to assert that green hydrogen would not have been used in the steelworks. That is simply inaccurate. Of course, it's inaccurate. But, of course, members opposite who wanted to keep Sanjeev Gupta in place by handing him another $50 million, just handing him money, are now quoting his employee at InfraBuild. I would have thought the Leader of the Opposition would have had more foresight than to rely on Sanjeev Gupta and his employees to make an attack on the government.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: You are just posing questions. Then why are you quoting Sanjeev Gupta's employees as an authority on the matter? Are they an authority on steelworks? Is there anyone left in South Australia who really thinks that anyone who worked for Sanjeev Gupta is an authority on this matter? Really? After everything the Premier has just said about—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Again, interjecting is not a substitute for policy and debate. Yelling gets you nowhere. Yelling gets you nowhere. Let's analyse this question. So they want me to take the advice of Sanjeev Gupta in our hydrogen plans. No, I won't—no, I won't take their advice. I won't use the advice of Sanjeev Gupta. I won't do that.

Do you know whose advice I will take? I will take BlueScope, CSIRO, commonwealth government, and how about this person: '…hydrogen, which has emerged as an area of future growth,' Vincent Tarzia. That was your opinion just not that long ago. And what about the shadow minister himself? What did he have to say? What did he have to say about hydrogen and its applications? He said:

I would like to take this opportunity to speak in parliament today about the fantastic federal government announcement last Friday of the Marshall Liberal government's successful $146.5 million Port Bonython hydrogen hub…

Hydrogen, and what is Port Bonython close to? The steelworks. The shadow minister continued:

This is a huge win for South Australia that will create thousands of jobs and establish South Australia as a globally-significant supplier of clean hydrogen.

So here they are now saying in one aspect, hydrogen has no future, quoting Sanjeev Gupta, but a few years ago you told the parliament that it did. So which one is it? I think when it comes to hydrogen and you hear everything they say—I mean, it goes on:

…hydrogen really has a fantastic ability. It is going to provide clean energy going forward…

When they were in office they acknowledged the value hydrogen has. When they are in opposition they say it is valueless. Be consistent. Have a consistent message. Follow my example. Be consistent. I have been consistent about this from the very beginning. Yes, a winning consistency. I have to say, when it comes to hydrogen you haven't kept a consistent point of view from term to term.

The SPEAKER: The member for Morphett can leave the chamber until the end of question time. I didn't want to interrupt the minister while he was on a roll but, gee, it was loud.

The honourable member for Morphett having withdrawn from the chamber:

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Do you want to head out as well, because I could hear you yelling as well.