House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2017-08-02 Daily Xml

Contents

Electricity Generation

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (14:54): Supplementary: why did the minister just tell the house that it is just 'a hope' that the diesel generators will be temporarily in these two locations?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy) (14:54): I have to say that this is now getting bizarre and creepy. We have announced publicly that we have found a permanent solution. We have found our permanent generators and they will be at a temporary site. We hope that the generators aren't needed. We hope that they don't have to run, but if we do need them, the state has backup.

Members opposite don't want us to have that backup. What will they say in December, January and February if these generators are called into action to avoid load shedding? Will they say then, during the campaign, that these were unnecessary, that we should load shed on these people rather than buy or lease these generators? Will that be the political tactic of the opposition, or are you just going to tell them to vote Labor again? What is the tactic here?