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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-10-18 Daily Xml
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National Electricity Market

Mr WILLIAMS (MacKillop) (15:05): Supplementary: given the minister's answer to the Dorothy Dixer just now, can the minister advise the house if he is aware of the difference in the efficiency of the two major gas-fired generators in South Australia—namely, Torrens Island and Pelican Point—and can he assure the house that the most efficient of those generators is producing most of the electricity that's going into our network?

Ms Sanderson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Adelaide is warned.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy) (15:05): I will check today because I have my app here and I can check exactly what is going on at any one time, so let's have a look. The former shadow energy minister and the former deputy leader of the opposition, who voted for the privatisation of ETSA—I just put that on the record—

Mr PISONI: Point of order, sir: you have said time and time again that members are to be addressed by their electorates.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Well, MacKillop, sir, I apologise. Currently, Pelican Point is producing 172 megawatts. Torrens Island power station is producing about 150 to 200 megawatts. I have to say that seems pretty comparable. The reason AGL is producing more is very simple. It's because when the assets were privatised AGL was, of course, one of the retailers—

Ms Chapman: He doesn't understand the question.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I understand the question. What the former deputy leader is saying is: why is Torrens Island on more than Pelican? It's a very simple equation. It all goes back to the privatisation of ETSA. All roads lead to the privatisation of ETSA, and I thank the member for raising it again because we all go back to the very beginning when this began and the promises we were made that weren't kept and they all go back to that.

We were left in this state with predominantly a gas-fired generator that needs new investment, that needs new money poured into it, but of course privatisation hasn't allowed that to occur and, rather than apologise for the privatisation of ETSA, they stand by it. They still think it's a good idea. They would do it again. You can hear them. They would do it again. They would do it again. Wait for SA Water—SA Water is next.

The SPEAKER: I think what the Treasurer is trying to say is that it's 'the long and winding road that leads to your door'.

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