❓ The Minister for Energy refutes claims that electricity industry reform in WA will lead to price increases similar to those in South Australia, highlighting key differences in approach, particularly regarding privatisation. The Minister accuses the Leader of the Opposition of inconsistency and scaremongering.
AnsweredQoN 1280Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to recent claims by the Leader of the Opposition that Western Australians can expect a repeat of the situation in South Australia where prices increased by 25 per cent because of the electricity industry reform. Can the minister confirm whether there is any substance to these claims? Mr E.S. RIPPER
AnswerView source ↗
Talk about liberal with the truth! The Leader of the Opposition is true to form on this matter. He advances his scaremongering as fact. Of course, there is always more to the story than meets the eye in statements made by the Leader of the Opposition. Let us look at what happened in South Australia. I refer, firstly, to the major difference between what was implemented in South Australia and what is proposed here. In South Australia the utility was privatised and high prices were locked in because high electricity prices were needed to service the high values that were paid for that privatised asset. Secondly, the market was opened up to full retail competition immediately, contrary to this Government’s approach, which is to stage reform over a number of years. Thirdly, the South Australian company entered the national electricity market with a severe shortage of generation capacity. Consumer protection measures were not implemented in South Australia, such as price caps backed by law, an energy ombudsman, a customer service code or a sustainable uniform tariff. Those measures are part of this Government’s reform program. Quite frankly, the South Australians, under a State Liberal Government, totally botched their electricity reform because their interests were in privatisation and getting as much from the sale of their public assets as they could. The then South Australian Government’s greedy focus on privatisation spoiled the reform outcome. That was confirmed by the Chairman of the South Australian Energy Consumer Council, Professor Richard Blandy, who was quoted in The Australian on 11 November as saying that South Australia’s high prices could be blamed on - . . . a flawed privatisation process, AGL’s purchase of high-priced contracts in 2001 and an inefficient system for dealing with short bursts of high demand in summer. I note that he places the first emphasis on the flawed privatisation process. Who in this Parliament is entertaining privatisation of our electricity system? It is none other than the Leader of the Opposition, who wants to privatise the Collie power station. I remind members of his comments quoted in Business News on 7 November that if his party had been in power, one of Western Power’s generators would have been privatised by now. Again in The West Australian of 22 October 2003 - almost a year later - he is quoted as saying - I don’t think people are spooked by privatisation any longer. They now realise you can have privately-run services in things that have been traditionally government. As well as the TAB, Mr Barnett nominated the Collie power station, one of the State’s biggest electricity generators, as an asset that might be sold by a Liberal Government. The Leader of the Opposition thinks he can get away with saying one thing in Perth and another thing in Collie. The Collie Mail reported quite a different side. On 31 October 2003 it quoted the Leader of the Opposition as follows - Mr Barnett denied recent claims from Energy Minister Eric Ripper that he planned to privatise Collie Power Station. He was quoted in Business News , on the front page of The West Australian and in Hansard as saying that he would privatise it. However, when he went down to Collie he thought, “Oh, dear, I’d better not say that to the people in Collie”, so he denied that he was planning to privatise the power station there. The people of Collie are a bit brighter than that brick sitting in front of you, Mr Speaker. They know what goes on in the metropolitan media; they do not read only what he says in the Collie Mail . I say to the member for Collie that the people of Collie are a lot, lot brighter than that brick! The people of Western Australia are bright enough to understand one thing about the Leader of the Opposition: he will say anything to anyone, anywhere without regard for his own consistency and integrity or for the best interests of this State.
Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: Talk about liberal with the truth! The Leader of the Opposition is true to form on this matter. He advances his scaremongering as fact. Of course, there is always more to the story than meets the eye in statements made by the Leader of the Opposition. Let us look at what happened in South Australia. I refer, firstly, to the major difference between what was implemented in South Australia and what is proposed here. In South Australia the utility was privatised and high prices were locked in because high electricity prices were needed to service the high values that were paid for that privatised asset. Secondly, the market was opened up to full retail competition immediately, contrary to this Government’s approach, which is to stage reform over a number of years. Thirdly, the South Australian company entered the national electricity market with a severe shortage of generation capacity. Consumer protection measures were not implemented in South Australia, such as price caps backed by law, an energy ombudsman, a customer service code or a sustainable uniform tariff. Those measures are part of this Government’s reform program. Quite frankly, the South Australians, under a State Liberal Government, totally botched their electricity reform because their interests were in privatisation and getting as much from the sale of their public assets as they could. The then South Australian Government’s greedy focus on privatisation spoiled the reform outcome. That was confirmed by the Chairman of the South Australian Energy Consumer Council, Professor Richard Blandy, who was quoted in The Australian on 11 November as saying that South Australia’s high prices could be blamed on - . . . a flawed privatisation process, AGL’s purchase of high-priced contracts in 2001 and an inefficient system for dealing with short bursts of high demand in summer. I note that he places the first emphasis on the flawed privatisation process. Who in this Parliament is entertaining privatisation of our electricity system? It is none other than the Leader of the Opposition, who wants to privatise the Collie power station. I remind members of his comments quoted in Business News on 7 November that if his party had been in power, one of Western Power’s generators would have been privatised by now. Again in The West Australian of 22 October 2003 - almost a year later - he is quoted as saying - I don’t think people are spooked by privatisation any longer. They now realise you can have privately-run services in things that have been traditionally government. As well as the TAB, Mr Barnett nominated the Collie power station, one of the State’s biggest electricity generators, as an asset that might be sold by a Liberal Government. The Leader of the Opposition thinks he can get away with saying one thing in Perth and another thing in Collie. The Collie Mail reported quite a different side. On 31 October 2003 it quoted the Leader of the Opposition as follows - Mr Barnett denied recent claims from Energy Minister Eric Ripper that he planned to privatise Collie Power Station. He was quoted in Business News , on the front page of The West Australian and in Hansard as saying that he would privatise it. However, when he went down to Collie he thought, “Oh, dear, I’d better not say that to the people in Collie”, so he denied that he was planning to privatise the power station there. The people of Collie are a bit brighter than that brick sitting in front of you, Mr Speaker. They know what goes on in the metropolitan media; they do not read only what he says in the Collie Mail . I say to the member for Collie that the people of Collie are a lot, lot brighter than that brick! The people of Western Australia are bright enough to understand one thing about the Leader of the Opposition: he will say anything to anyone, anywhere without regard for his own consistency and integrity or for the best interests of this State.
Talk about liberal with the truth! The Leader of the Opposition is true to form on this matter. He advances his scaremongering as fact. Of course, there is always more to the story than meets the eye in statements made by the Leader of the Opposition. Let us look at what happened in South Australia. I refer, firstly, to the major difference between what was implemented in South Australia and what is proposed here. In South Australia the utility was privatised and high prices were locked in because high electricity prices were needed to service the high values that were paid for that privatised asset. Secondly, the market was opened up to full retail competition immediately, contrary to this Government’s approach, which is to stage reform over a number of years. Thirdly, the South Australian company entered the national electricity market with a severe shortage of generation capacity. Consumer protection measures were not implemented in South Australia, such as price caps backed by law, an energy ombudsman, a customer service code or a sustainable uniform tariff. Those measures are part of this Government’s reform program. Quite frankly, the South Australians, under a State Liberal Government, totally botched their electricity reform because their interests were in privatisation and getting as much from the sale of their public assets as they could. The then South Australian Government’s greedy focus on privatisation spoiled the reform outcome. That was confirmed by the Chairman of the South Australian Energy Consumer Council, Professor Richard Blandy, who was quoted in The Australian on 11 November as saying that South Australia’s high prices could be blamed on - . . . a flawed privatisation process, AGL’s purchase of high-priced contracts in 2001 and an inefficient system for dealing with short bursts of high demand in summer. I note that he places the first emphasis on the flawed privatisation process. Who in this Parliament is entertaining privatisation of our electricity system? It is none other than the Leader of the Opposition, who wants to privatise the Collie power station. I remind members of his comments quoted in Business News on 7 November that if his party had been in power, one of Western Power’s generators would have been privatised by now. Again in The West Australian of 22 October 2003 - almost a year later - he is quoted as saying - I don’t think people are spooked by privatisation any longer. They now realise you can have privately-run services in things that have been traditionally government. As well as the TAB, Mr Barnett nominated the Collie power station, one of the State’s biggest electricity generators, as an asset that might be sold by a Liberal Government. The Leader of the Opposition thinks he can get away with saying one thing in Perth and another thing in Collie. The Collie Mail reported quite a different side. On 31 October 2003 it quoted the Leader of the Opposition as follows - Mr Barnett denied recent claims from Energy Minister Eric Ripper that he planned to privatise Collie Power Station. He was quoted in Business News , on the front page of The West Australian and in Hansard as saying that he would privatise it. However, when he went down to Collie he thought, “Oh, dear, I’d better not say that to the people in Collie”, so he denied that he was planning to privatise the power station there. The people of Collie are a bit brighter than that brick sitting in front of you, Mr Speaker. They know what goes on in the metropolitan media; they do not read only what he says in the Collie Mail . I say to the member for Collie that the people of Collie are a lot, lot brighter than that brick! The people of Western Australia are bright enough to understand one thing about the Leader of the Opposition: he will say anything to anyone, anywhere without regard for his own consistency and integrity or for the best interests of this State.
Again in The West Australian of 22 October 2003 - almost a year later - he is quoted as saying - I don’t think people are spooked by privatisation any longer. They now realise you can have privately-run services in things that have been traditionally government. As well as the TAB, Mr Barnett nominated the Collie power station, one of the State’s biggest electricity generators, as an asset that might be sold by a Liberal Government. The Leader of the Opposition thinks he can get away with saying one thing in Perth and another thing in Collie. The Collie Mail reported quite a different side. On 31 October 2003 it quoted the Leader of the Opposition as follows - Mr Barnett denied recent claims from Energy Minister Eric Ripper that he planned to privatise Collie Power Station. He was quoted in Business News , on the front page of The West Australian and in Hansard as saying that he would privatise it. However, when he went down to Collie he thought, “Oh, dear, I’d better not say that to the people in Collie”, so he denied that he was planning to privatise the power station there. The people of Collie are a bit brighter than that brick sitting in front of you, Mr Speaker. They know what goes on in the metropolitan media; they do not read only what he says in the Collie Mail . I say to the member for Collie that the people of Collie are a lot, lot brighter than that brick! The people of Western Australia are bright enough to understand one thing about the Leader of the Opposition: he will say anything to anyone, anywhere without regard for his own consistency and integrity or for the best interests of this State.
Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: Talk about liberal with the truth! The Leader of the Opposition is true to form on this matter. He advances his scaremongering as fact. Of course, there is always more to the story than meets the eye in statements made by the Leader of the Opposition. Let us look at what happened in South Australia. I refer, firstly, to the major difference between what was implemented in South Australia and what is proposed here. In South Australia the utility was privatised and high prices were locked in because high electricity prices were needed to service the high values that were paid for that privatised asset. Secondly, the market was opened up to full retail competition immediately, contrary to this Government’s approach, which is to stage reform over a number of years. Thirdly, the South Australian company entered the national electricity market with a severe shortage of generation capacity. Consumer protection measures were not implemented in South Australia, such as price caps backed by law, an energy ombudsman, a customer service code or a sustainable uniform tariff. Those measures are part of this Government’s reform program. Quite frankly, the South Australians, under a State Liberal Government, totally botched their electricity reform because their interests were in privatisation and getting as much from the sale of their public assets as they could. The then South Australian Government’s greedy focus on privatisation spoiled the reform outcome. That was confirmed by the Chairman of the South Australian Energy Consumer Council, Professor Richard Blandy, who was quoted in The Australian on 11 November as saying that South Australia’s high prices could be blamed on - . . . a flawed privatisation process, AGL’s purchase of high-priced contracts in 2001 and an inefficient system for dealing with short bursts of high demand in summer. I note that he places the first emphasis on the flawed privatisation process. Who in this Parliament is entertaining privatisation of our electricity system? It is none other than the Leader of the Opposition, who wants to privatise the Collie power station. I remind members of his comments quoted in Business News on 7 November that if his party had been in power, one of Western Power’s generators would have been privatised by now. Again in The West Australian of 22 October 2003 - almost a year later - he is quoted as saying - I don’t think people are spooked by privatisation any longer. They now realise you can have privately-run services in things that have been traditionally government. As well as the TAB, Mr Barnett nominated the Collie power station, one of the State’s biggest electricity generators, as an asset that might be sold by a Liberal Government. The Leader of the Opposition thinks he can get away with saying one thing in Perth and another thing in Collie. The Collie Mail reported quite a different side. On 31 October 2003 it quoted the Leader of the Opposition as follows - Mr Barnett denied recent claims from Energy Minister Eric Ripper that he planned to privatise Collie Power Station. He was quoted in Business News , on the front page of The West Australian and in Hansard as saying that he would privatise it. However, when he went down to Collie he thought, “Oh, dear, I’d better not say that to the people in Collie”, so he denied that he was planning to privatise the power station there. The people of Collie are a bit brighter than that brick sitting in front of you, Mr Speaker. They know what goes on in the metropolitan media; they do not read only what he says in the Collie Mail . I say to the member for Collie that the people of Collie are a lot, lot brighter than that brick! The people of Western Australia are bright enough to understand one thing about the Leader of the Opposition: he will say anything to anyone, anywhere without regard for his own consistency and integrity or for the best interests of this State.
Talk about liberal with the truth! The Leader of the Opposition is true to form on this matter. He advances his scaremongering as fact. Of course, there is always more to the story than meets the eye in statements made by the Leader of the Opposition. Let us look at what happened in South Australia. I refer, firstly, to the major difference between what was implemented in South Australia and what is proposed here. In South Australia the utility was privatised and high prices were locked in because high electricity prices were needed to service the high values that were paid for that privatised asset. Secondly, the market was opened up to full retail competition immediately, contrary to this Government’s approach, which is to stage reform over a number of years. Thirdly, the South Australian company entered the national electricity market with a severe shortage of generation capacity. Consumer protection measures were not implemented in South Australia, such as price caps backed by law, an energy ombudsman, a customer service code or a sustainable uniform tariff. Those measures are part of this Government’s reform program. Quite frankly, the South Australians, under a State Liberal Government, totally botched their electricity reform because their interests were in privatisation and getting as much from the sale of their public assets as they could. The then South Australian Government’s greedy focus on privatisation spoiled the reform outcome. That was confirmed by the Chairman of the South Australian Energy Consumer Council, Professor Richard Blandy, who was quoted in The Australian on 11 November as saying that South Australia’s high prices could be blamed on - . . . a flawed privatisation process, AGL’s purchase of high-priced contracts in 2001 and an inefficient system for dealing with short bursts of high demand in summer. I note that he places the first emphasis on the flawed privatisation process. Who in this Parliament is entertaining privatisation of our electricity system? It is none other than the Leader of the Opposition, who wants to privatise the Collie power station. I remind members of his comments quoted in Business News on 7 November that if his party had been in power, one of Western Power’s generators would have been privatised by now. Again in The West Australian of 22 October 2003 - almost a year later - he is quoted as saying - I don’t think people are spooked by privatisation any longer. They now realise you can have privately-run services in things that have been traditionally government. As well as the TAB, Mr Barnett nominated the Collie power station, one of the State’s biggest electricity generators, as an asset that might be sold by a Liberal Government. The Leader of the Opposition thinks he can get away with saying one thing in Perth and another thing in Collie. The Collie Mail reported quite a different side. On 31 October 2003 it quoted the Leader of the Opposition as follows - Mr Barnett denied recent claims from Energy Minister Eric Ripper that he planned to privatise Collie Power Station. He was quoted in Business News , on the front page of The West Australian and in Hansard as saying that he would privatise it. However, when he went down to Collie he thought, “Oh, dear, I’d better not say that to the people in Collie”, so he denied that he was planning to privatise the power station there. The people of Collie are a bit brighter than that brick sitting in front of you, Mr Speaker. They know what goes on in the metropolitan media; they do not read only what he says in the Collie Mail . I say to the member for Collie that the people of Collie are a lot, lot brighter than that brick! The people of Western Australia are bright enough to understand one thing about the Leader of the Opposition: he will say anything to anyone, anywhere without regard for his own consistency and integrity or for the best interests of this State.
Again in The West Australian of 22 October 2003 - almost a year later - he is quoted as saying - I don’t think people are spooked by privatisation any longer. They now realise you can have privately-run services in things that have been traditionally government. As well as the TAB, Mr Barnett nominated the Collie power station, one of the State’s biggest electricity generators, as an asset that might be sold by a Liberal Government. The Leader of the Opposition thinks he can get away with saying one thing in Perth and another thing in Collie. The Collie Mail reported quite a different side. On 31 October 2003 it quoted the Leader of the Opposition as follows - Mr Barnett denied recent claims from Energy Minister Eric Ripper that he planned to privatise Collie Power Station. He was quoted in Business News , on the front page of The West Australian and in Hansard as saying that he would privatise it. However, when he went down to Collie he thought, “Oh, dear, I’d better not say that to the people in Collie”, so he denied that he was planning to privatise the power station there. The people of Collie are a bit brighter than that brick sitting in front of you, Mr Speaker. They know what goes on in the metropolitan media; they do not read only what he says in the Collie Mail . I say to the member for Collie that the people of Collie are a lot, lot brighter than that brick! The people of Western Australia are bright enough to understand one thing about the Leader of the Opposition: he will say anything to anyone, anywhere without regard for his own consistency and integrity or for the best interests of this State.
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