Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Anyway, I thank Senator Bernardi for giving us the opportunity to speak about the leadership of the South Australian Labor government and encourage all South Australians to re-elect it for an historic fifth term. There are very good reasons for doing that, because South Australians have a very clear choice before them in this election. There are three options, really: they can choose a Labor government, focusing on the issues of our state—jobs, health, education and energy; they can choose a failed state Liberal Party that have made a career out of disappointing themselves; or they can choose a Xenophon party made up of people who failed in the failed Liberal Party.

The state Labor government in my home state has constantly and consistently delivered vital projects and necessary reforms to South Australians. A key example of this is the action taken by Premier Weatherill and Treasurer Koutsantonis on energy policy. As the National Energy Market failed under the Liberals, the federal Liberal government simply stood idly by, but the South Australian government took action. They announced a plan and acted to take control of South Australian energy needs.

But you don't have to take my word for that. I'd like to share a few excerpts from the Adelaide Advertiser newspaper in my home state. On 18 December last year, a headline on the Advertiser website informed us 'South Australian electricity bills tipped to drop by $300 over two years'. That article reports:

Expert modelling shows the price drop in SA—7.3 per cent over the next two years—was among the biggest savings in Australia driven by new wind and solar generation.

Then, on 21 December last year, a headline on the Adelaide Advertiser website read '"That's a record": South Australia's Tesla battery responds to coal-fired plant failure'. I've seen these batteries, and I encourage you, Mr Acting Deputy President, to go and have a look. They're terrific batteries. This article went on to say:

The world's largest lithium-ion battery, built by tech billionaire Elon Musk, responded quickly last week when the coal-fired Loy Yang power plant tripped and went offline.

The battery delivered 100 megawatts into the national electricity grid in 140 milliseconds—

yes, 140 milliseconds. An article by The Advertiser's political reporter—a very good reporter, Sheradyn Holderhead—published on 9 January this year described the success of the South Australian Labor government's energy policies. That article was titled 'South Australia exporting power to Victoria as eastern state imports tumble tenfold'. I'll share the opening couple of paragraphs with the Senate:

SOUTH Australia has shut off on its reliance on Victoria to keep the lights on and has consistently been exporting power to the east coast, new figures reveal.

Data from the national grid operator shows that every week since July, SA has exported more energy than it has brought in from interstate.

Not only has SA exported more electricity but the total amount of power being brought in from the east has dwindled and was now 10 times less than this time last year.

I know you look amazed, Mr Acting Deputy President. Just to avoid being too parochial in the promotion of The Advertiser, here's a headline from The Sydney Morning Herald on Monday: 'AGL to spend nearly $1bn on wind farms'. In that article we're told:

AGL will spend about $900 million to buy wind farms as part of a plan to replace the power lost when it closes the controversial Liddell coal-fired power plant.

It goes on to say that AGL:

… is turning to a mix of different sources—including wind and solar—as it brings more renewable energy on board.

So you see, Mr Acting Deputy President, senators need not take it from me and my colleagues on this side of the chamber or from our Labor colleagues in South Australia. The fourth estate—that great bastion of our democracy that we collectively refer to as the news media—required as it is to report in an accurate, fair, and balanced fashion, has done what the people opposite refuse to do and has told the truth. The truth is that the South Australian Labor government energy policies are providing reliable and affordable electricity not just for my home state but now for Victoria.

On a more local note, I'd like to advise the Senate about the excellent work being done on the ground by hardworking candidates and members across my home state. Starting in the electorate of Newland—a seat in Adelaide's north-eastern suburbs—local campaign extraordinaire Tom Kenyon is pounding the pavement and mustering the community behind him, even as a redistribution put his seat in the Liberal column. In Adelaide's south the member for Elder, Annabel Digance, and our candidate for Badcoe, Jayne Stinson—a terrific former news reporter—are fighting to passionately represent locals in two tough contests.