Renewable Energy Target

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:00): My question is directed to the Minister for Climate Change. Does the minister believe that the Labor government's pursuit of a 50 per cent target of intermittent renewable energy is more important than the security of affordable and reliable energy for every South Australian household?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (15:01): This is a fantastic example of the Liberal opposition farming out questions to their backbench and not requiring them to listen to the answers that have already been given to questions because I have already addressed the issue. I have already addressed the issue of the state-based targets and I have to say that it is incredible to me that we have the Liberal opposition in this state believing that you can't have a reliable energy system that delivers safe, secure energy products to customers at a cheap price without having a national buy-in from the federal government in what is a national grid.

It is a national grid, yet we don't have a buy-in from the federal government. All they've got is a lump of coal. The Hon. Jing Lee can go back and say to her constituency, 'Our plan is to give you a lump of coal. That's all we've got.' In regard to a national grid, they say, 'Hands off the steering wheel,' as far as the Liberal opposition of South Australia is concerned because the Hon. Steven Marshall is going to be giving up any powers he has in setting state-based targets to the federal Liberal government, which has no interest in South Australia at any level whatsoever.