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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 3 Hansard (9 March) . . Page.. 762 ..
Mr Hargreaves: You do not know anything about the retail function, where the risk is supposed to be.
Mr Stanhope: Give us the proposal on the retail function.
MR SPEAKER: Order, please!
Mr Stanhope: Where the risk is supposed to be.
Mr Moore: Raw nerve.
MR HUMPHRIES: I realise I have touched a raw nerve on that subject.
Mr Quinlan: No, you have not. You are lying again.
MR HUMPHRIES: Let me address the other issue in Mr Quinlan's question: That disaggregation is going on all over the place and it will not hurt if we do the same thing in the ACT. Well, that is gobbledegook. If one studies the reports in the newspapers about this matter, it is apparent that what is happening today is the opposite of disaggregation. There are mergers and strategic alliances taking place in the national energy market that are having a significant effect on the way in which those organisations operate.
Let me read from one article, in the Australian of today, under the heading "Newborn giant has energy of four":
The new $1 billion energy retail giant, Pulse Energy, was spawned yesterday by four leading energy providers.
And it goes on to mention that they are United Energy, Ikon Energy, Shell and Woodside Petroleum. It continues:
United Energy and Ikon have a combined customer base of just over 1 million but the new entity - - -
Mr Quinlan: Have you invited them into the deal then?
MR HUMPHRIES: Will you please be quiet, Mr Quinlan, and let me speak and finish my answer.
Mr Quinlan: No.
MR HUMPHRIES: You have asked me a question, so let me finish it.
MR SPEAKER: Just be quiet. You will have a supplementary, I presume. The four minutes is up, Mr Minister. Go on.
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