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

The ignorance from those opposite is on display for all to see when it comes to the risks to a reliable energy system—but, as well, the blindness of the different state and territory governments: Victoria, who continue to charge on ahead in the pursuit of their own renewable energy target, or our home state of South Australia, where the madness is on display that, having closed down the coal fired Northern Power Station, having developed an excessive reliability on renewable energies, the solution, apparently, is now diesel generation. At a cost of $110 million, the diesel generators will be fired up using 80,000 litres an hour of diesel—80,000 litres an hour of diesel is apparently what's going to be required to keep the lights on in our home state. That, of course, is not acceptable. It's why as a government we're investing in smart solutions, sustainable solutions, long-term solutions and making the market— (Time expired)