Page 574 - Week 02 - Thursday, 16 February 2017
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
Mrs Dunne: Thank you, Madam Speaker.
MADAM SPEAKER: The use of props is not allowed in the chamber.
Mrs Dunne: You should know better than that.
MR RATTENBURY: Madam Speaker, I did check the Companion this morning and it follows the practices of the federal parliament: if it is contextual and considered, it is considered not to be unreasonable. I believe there is a precedent in this chamber.
MADAM SPEAKER: Can you sit down for a moment, Mr Rattenbury? The convention is that we have not allowed props in this place. I know there have been stunts by a number of different political parties in other chambers in recent times. I would hope that we would not follow suit. That is my view at the moment. Could you give me a moment to check the Companion.
MR RATTENBURY: Can we stop the clocks, Madam Speaker?
MADAM SPEAKER: Can we stop the clocks. Members, I will come back with a further ruling, but I ask that no props be used. I believe you have made your point, anyway, Mr Rattenbury. Can we start the clocks and come back to the debate.
MR RATTENBURY: It was actually the renewable technologies that smoothed out the supply spikes and averted blackouts while the large fossil fuel planets were failing.
Let us talk about another related myth. There is a claim that renewable energy is costly, that it will make electricity expensive and that investment in fossil fuels—coal in particular—is the best way to keep prices low. Again this sketchy claim rapidly unravels with even a cursory look at the evidence. Renewable energy target schemes have some impact on electricity prices but it is minimal. They are offset by savings from energy efficiency improvements achieved through the ACT’s energy efficiency improvement scheme.
By using its large-scale feed-in tariff mechanism, which is helping us to achieve our 100 per cent renewables target, the ACT has provided long-term certainty and protected electricity consumers from further price rises into the future. As an example, the closure of Hazelwood Power Station is expected to create price rises. But in the ACT our large-scale renewables policies will mitigate this and save the average ACT household around $125 per annum by 2020, compared to other interstate consumers.
Members may also be aware that because of our large-scale feed-in tariff arrangement, also called a contract for difference, there are periods when our renewable energy generators actually pay money back to the ACT through ActewAGL. This is passed on as savings to consumers in the ACT. While electricity spikes will cause higher prices for electricity consumers in other jurisdictions, in the ACT our consumers will benefit from a stable price. These electricity supply spikes will only worsen due to climate change. I urge members to think about this every time they hear some
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video