Energy Market

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS (14:54): Supplementary: can the minister advise the chamber if the federal government's Chief Scientist, in a recent report to the federal government, supported an emissions trading scheme as the most efficient mechanism to actually address—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (14:54): It comes as no surprise that the state government takes its advice from the experts. It is not something in regard to a national emissions reduction program or an EIS that we actually come up with these ideas on our own. We actually go and talk to the experts in the industry and to our scientists, those like the Chief Scientist, who are in a position to give us governments advice.

Unsurprisingly, when we get that advice from experts, particularly when it matches up to the advice we are getting from industry as well, then we look at it and say, 'Yes, that seems pretty reasonable,' and we accept it. A market-based approach to an emissions intensity scheme is exactly what the industry, the science and our energy experts are telling us we need to have a rational market penetration of driving cleaner energy into the system.

It wasn't all that long ago that we had a federal government under prime minister Abbott who said he was going to axe the carbon tax and drive down electricity prices. How did that go for us? The Liberal government promised us, as long as the day is long, that they would be bringing down the price of electricity by axing the carbon tax, and it didn't work, again because they ignore their advice from experts.

I only have to hark back to the difference between this government, which takes on board advice from our experts, including the Chief Scientist, and that of the federal government. 'Revealed: government ignored advice on cause of blackouts'. This is the difference—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: Here we go; we have heard this three times already.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: And you will hear it again. This is the difference between us: we take expert advice from scientists and energy market players, and we form our policies on the basis of good advice. On the other hand, you have the Turnbull federal government getting good advice from their own public servants and saying, 'No, take that away from me. I don't want to hear that good advice. We have already decided on our political objectives and facts are only getting in the way.' That's what the Liberals do, that's how they make policy, but it's not how we do it on this side.