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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-10-19 Daily Xml
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Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:41): My question is to the Premier. Does the statement made by the world's biggest mining company, that copper production at Olympic Dam was cut because of the statewide blackout, damage South Australia's reputation as a place to invest and do business?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy) (14:41): No, it doesn't. I have to say that the idea of the natural disaster that caused the separation and the system black being responsible for South Australia being a worse place to invest because of a storm is ridiculous. It is no more ridiculous than saying that it's not safe to invest in South Australia after Ash Wednesday. It is no more ridiculous than saying it's not safe to farm after Pinery. These are ridiculous assertions.

They desire to try to talk down the South Australian economy, they desire to try to talk down South Australia—and why? It is because the opposition is committed to one thing and one thing only: they want to create a climate where everyone thinks that South Australia is unfit to invest in. That suits their narrative. Well, the people of this state have something to say about that. The people of this state won't have the Leader of the Opposition actually saying that this state is not worth investing in.

Yesterday, during a debate a senior member of the opposition said that if he were an investor he would not invest in South Australia. What a disgraceful statement by members opposite. We put South Australia first and our party second. The idea that, as part of a national electricity market, there is one state that suffers from a storm, that somehow that doesn't reflect on the entire national operation of the NEM, only reflects on a government that doesn't own or operate its assets is ridiculous. It is absolutely ridiculous. If the Leader of the Opposition's argument is taken to its full extent who he is really criticising is Prime Minister Turnbull, Premier Baird, Premier Palaszczuk.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Well, who controls the National Electricity Market? Who sets the regulations? Who puts the safety mechanisms in place? This is a national electricity market. I have to say that the idea that a storm and its subsequent impacts on the South Australian electricity market on that day, by ripping out infrastructure, is reflective of a worsening condition to invest in South Australia is simply unpatriotic.

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