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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-09-02 Daily Xml
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Energy Policy

Ms CLANCY (Elder) (14:38): My question is to the Minister for Energy and Mining. Can the minister please explain how cohesion and discipline within a government can strengthen its ability to deliver long-term energy policy outcomes for the people of South Australia, and what the outcome of alternative approaches is?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:39): On the weekend, I realised someone had stolen my homework. It is a form of flattery, I have to say. When I saw the Liberal opposition announce their energy policy where they were going to essentially underwrite the construction of 200 megawatts of generation, keep Torrens Island open and encourage new gas exploration after having deliberately tried to close the Torrens Island power station, privatise 200 megawatts of generation and ban gas extraction in the South-East, I have to say that was some triple pike twist with a turn at the end.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Yes, I have to say that imitation is the finest form of flattery. I have to say that when I hear the member for Morphett saying, 'You are not talking about hydrogen,' I can say the same thing about him because when he was sitting on this side of the house, he was exuberant, like most Collingwood players happy to make accusations without any real evidence, but the truth is—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Yes, the two Collingwood supporters, the last two in South Australia. What I have noticed about the member for Morphett is he's more than happy to have his own policies but the moment he is in opposition he changes them completely and now he's adopted all our policies again. So I look forward to the private member's bill in the parliament lifting the ban on gas extraction with fracture stimulation in the South-East.

If the government lifted that ban here in South Australia, what would happen then, of course—as industry now takes 10, 15 to 20 years to make these long-term investments—it would need to be bipartisan. Everyone who knows our views on gas extraction would know that we are in favour of it. Members opposite are the ones who instituted the ban. The only way it can be lifted is if members opposite were serious about it. Maybe they would say something about it. They were asked twice last week but refused to give a concrete answer on it. The member for Morphett, who is the shadow energy minister, has said nothing. To have cohesive energy policy you need a platform on which to build it. You need stability and you need no in-fighting.

I have to say that The Australian on the weekend was interesting reading. David Penberthy, probably one of South Australia's leading journalists in News Limited, a columnist in The Australian—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: You can attack David Penberthy as much as you like but the truth is he's got columns in The Australian and columns in The Advertiser and he's a former editor and someone who is taken seriously and has contacts in both political parties. We are hearing that the Antic group has so fundamentally taken over the Liberal Party that health policy is now preying over people to remove their lactose intolerance. We are hearing that conservatives are now thinking that Nicolle Flint is too moderate and left wing to be part of their group. If Nicolle Flint is too left wing, if she's too moderate, what does it say about the rest of us?

I have to say, the whole group, the whole agitation here, is all about the fact that they are no longer members of parliament, they are wholly owned subsidiaries of Alex Antic who do only what he wants, when he wants and how he wants. He decides what happens in the Liberal Party now. He chooses what the policies are and he also decides the candidates.

The SPEAKER: The members for Chaffey and Morphett are on their final warning. That was a little rowdy.

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