Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Hansard source

As I explained, Senator Bernardi, and as I know you are well aware, this parliament took action around 18 months ago to change the Renewable Energy Target to a level that we thought was one that provided a degree of investment certainty without jeopardising the national stability—at least, around that target—of energy generation. It is the government's view that to change that again, 18 months after it was varied and only a couple of years until the conclusion of the 2020 target period, would actually create further problems in the energy market. It would exacerbate problems, particularly in terms of investment certainty, rather than actually help with any of those issues. I certainly do not accept that we have contributed half of the problem in South Australia. The problem in South Australia is that they sought to take on as much of the national target themselves for— (Time expired)