James Stevens (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Government Waste Reduction) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Over the last year, South Australia relied on electricity imports from Victoria for every single week of the year, including seven weeks where imported energy exceeded 50 gigawatt hours. During these periods, South Australia also fired up its own gas and diesel generation to keep the lights on. When Yallourn closes in 2028, where will South Australia import energy from during periods of prolonged wind droughts?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Sturt. I also visited the member for Sturt's electorate very recently. I was there with someone called Claire Clutterham—remember the name, she's terrific. Claire is out there talking with the good people of Sturt about renewable energy and about our government's plan. Funnily enough, when I was in Sturt no-one there was saying, 'I can't wait for those nuke reactors to make a difference!'

But in the question that was asked, he exposes the fraudulent nature of their plans. He just spoke about the closure of a coal-fired power station and what will happen in the meantime? Well, I guess they'll just stand still till 2045, until the nuclear reactors come down if you have your plan.

How absurd to ask a question speaking about the closure of coal. Twenty-four coal-fired power stations announced their closure when you were in government. And you did nothing about it. You waited till you went to the opposition benches and then you came out with this absurd nuclear plan sometime into the future with no idea what fills the gap in the meantime. That's the point. You can't continue to just do nothing because if you just do nothing, what you will do is leave a gap which will lead to a significant escalation of prices which will also lead to a departure of investment.

Because it's Thursday afternoon, I'll give my friend, the minister, the chance for the last minute.

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That question from the member for Sturt was the most successful intervention in the renewable energy debate since Josh Frydenberg and the Premier of South Australia had a press conference together, where Josh Frydenberg was blaming renewable energy in South Australia for blackouts, which renewable energy had nothing to do with.

I tell you what the honourable member for Sturt might have wanted to check. He asked about the closure of the Yallourn power station, which was announced when they were in office. And what did they do? They brought down the Underwriting New Generation Investment fund, which should have been called 'the unfortunately no generation involved fund', because it delivered not one watt of energy. What we saw was four gigawatts leave the grid and one gigawatt come on. That was the result of 10 years of policy indolence. (Time expired)

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A reminder that people are still on warnings. They can still leave the chamber if they interject.