Hydrogen Power Plant

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (14:27): Thank you, Mr President. We are all able to read the same questions on this side of the house. I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Leader of the Government in this place about broken promises.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Prior to the last election, the Malinauskas Labor Party promised the people of South Australia that they would build the world's biggest hydrogen electrolyser and use that electricity to provide cheap, clean energy to industry in our state by 2025. The Labor Party in government has spent $23 million to set up the hydrogen office, and the Premier has now walked away from that promise.

My question for the leader is: will he and the Premier admit that they have broken another key election promise to provide cheap, clean energy through hydrogen, and will he apologise to industry, business and households—particularly businesses which are struggling, shutting their doors—after electricity prices have skyrocketed by close to $1,700 over the last three years on his watch?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Special Minister of State) (14:28): I thank the honourable member for her question. It is just as well there are no standing orders against asking exactly the same question in each chamber just minutes apart, but I am happy to indulge the honourable member.

What is well known and on record is we have funds that may have gone to the hydrogen plant being used in the administration of the steelworks and in conjunction with the federal government in looking to give the steelworks of Whyalla the best possible chance of being sold and being operated in the long term by another owner. That is something we do not resile from and that's a decision I think any good government would have made, given the circumstances that were being faced.