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

Thank you Mr President. In terms of Senator's Gallacher's question, I'm not aware of whether or not the federal government has modelled the state Liberal Party's policy. It would be unlikely, but I'll happily check and give the chamber extra information if that's the case. However, I am aware that, indeed, the state Liberal Party's policy to provide a fund to encourage a further interconnection of South Australia into the rest of the national electricity market was something that was promised 16 long years ago by the state Labor government. Sixteen years ago the South Australian Labor Party, when they were elected, said they were going to build the New South Wales interconnector. And do we have it yet? Sixteen years later, no, we don't. Mr Marshall at least has put money on the table in his policy and the state Liberals policy to be able to build that interconnector, to be able to finish it and to be able to ensure that, when the wind is blowing so strongly in South Australia and the turbines are generating more energy than the state needs, the state will be able to export it. But, when the wind is not blowing in South Australia, the state will have greater certainty that it will be able to draw its power from other parts of the National Electricity Market.

Of course, elsewhere Mr Marshall has led the way in promising to put battery support into households, which just last weekend Mr Weatherill played catch-up politics on. I am thrilled, Senator Gallacher, that you have such a strong interest in Mr Marshall's excellent electricity policies. (Time expired)