Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Before speaking on the Australian Energy Market Amendment (AEMO and Other Measures) Bill 2009, I want to thank the other speakers for their contributions on the bill. They have made some very good points about how important the Australian energy market is and how important even some minor consequential amendments, the measures contained in this bill, are to the proper governance of energy markets across Australia.

This bill is part of a range of measures and, very importantly, is part of a great policy direction about providing uniform policy and regulation across all states in Australia in line with the Commonwealth to ensure that we get the right characteristics of proper market governance—in this case, energy market governance. So, while these amendments before us are termed ‘minor consequential amendments’, and that may be the case, they also have an important role to play in the broader policy direction for energy generation, especially the future of energy generation in Australia.

This bill makes a number of small amendments to existing Commonwealth legislation, particularly as a result of the cooperative energy reform legislation that is being passed in other jurisdictions across the country. The bill amends the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 and the Trade Practices Act 1974, replacing specific references to the National Electricity Market Management Company Ltd, NEMMCO, with the Australian Energy Market Operator Ltd. It is expected that the AEMO will commence operations, replacing NEMMCO, as of 1 July this year. So, while it may be just a case of a simple name change and some other amendments in those areas, it is, as I said, part of a broader policy direction in aligning energy markets, energy policy and the way forward for energy generation across Australia.

The bill also amends the Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977, the Australian Energy Market Act 2004 and the Trade Practices Act to reflect the change in the name of the Western Australian gas legislation. In terms of Western Australia, as we heard from the previous speaker, we certainly make no bones about our willingness and our capacity to work with all Australian states, regardless of their political persuasion. My view has always been that there are certain matters in the national interest that go far beyond pure political ideology or political directives and are about trying to set Australia on the right path for the future, and energy generation is one of them. So it is very good that the Liberal government of Western Australia have worked closely with us. They have been willing and able and had the capacity to make the right sorts of changes and amendments that we needed to provide—

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