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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-02-17 Daily Xml
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Electricity Prices

Mr McBRIDE (MacKillop) (14:43): My question is to the Minister for Energy and Mining. Can the minister please update the house on further reductions to electricity prices for all South Australians?

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart—Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:43): Yes, I can. We had some very good news yesterday, with independent analysis explaining how far electricity prices have fallen—$269 for the average household across the last three years, well on the way to our $302 commitment, which we made and we intend to deliver on.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: That's a very significant drop in price actually applies to people on market offers, about 90 per cent of those households in South Australia. Of course, the opposition being the opposition say, 'What about the 10 per cent?' It's not good enough that it's 90 per cent—what about the 10 per cent? So I do have some very good news to share with the opposition—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: —and finally they might begrudgingly come out of their shells and just say, 'Look, we realise that the Marshall government is getting on, fixing this job and doing what it said it would.'

For the other 10 per cent of household consumers, those who are on standing offers, the default market offer draft put out by the AER says that they will have a drop of $117 for the average household. That would mean, over the last three years—assuming that draft finding is what they actually settle on; it might be more—that for those households it is $397 per year. So on the numbers that we have in front of us, 90 per cent of households on the market offers will have a $269 saving over three years and for the 10 per cent of households that are on the standing offers, a $397 on average saving over three years. Our energy policies are working. Mr Speaker, let me share with you and everybody in this chamber also that more than 10,000 small businesses are set to save—

The Hon. S.C. Mullighan interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Lee!

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: —$342 per year according to the Australian Energy Regulator. These are not my figures: these are the national regulator's independent figures. That would, over the last three years, put the saving for small businesses at over $2,000 per year. We are seeing very consistent downward trends in electricity prices for households and for small businesses—those on market offers, those on standing offers. These things are working and they will continue to work. We will deliver on our commitments. Our policies are working. It is also well known in this chamber how vehemently those on the other side oppose the delivery of the interconnector between South Australia and New South Wales.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: So it is unfathomable to us that those opposite do not want South Australian households to get the additional $100 per year saving on top of the savings that they've already got. For some reason those opposite thought it was better to spend $600 million of taxpayers' money for dirty diesel generators and then not even let them operate throughout the year. That was their plan: $600 million for dirty diesels to not be used. We are fixing that. We are going to deliver an interconnector. We are delivering on our promises. Those opposite have a disgraceful record on energy policy. I encourage them to ask some questions on energy policy, if they dare. We are delivering for South Australians.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left and members on my right! Before I call the member for Reynell, I call to order the Minister for Education, I call to order the Minister for Energy and Mining, I call to order the Premier, I call to order the member for Giles and I warn for a second time the member for West Torrens.

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