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

I don't necessarily accept the premise or the analysis that Senator Marshall has presented, but I'll happily make sure that we provide a response in relation to any of the facts that he has outlined—and particularly whether the facts are as he claims them to be. But what is very clear is that the National Energy Guarantee provides a reliability standard that is, for the first time, integrated in relation to emissions policy and energy policy in Australia—a reliability guarantee that means that the power is there when you flick the switch; a reliability guarantee that ensures that Australians can have confidence that, unlike in my home state, which saw the catastrophe of a power blackout, Australians don't face a catastrophe like that again. It has also been developed in a way to drive prices down to ensure that Australians get the cheapest possible energy in the future so that, whether they are a household or they are a business, they will get savings, rather than the power hikes they’ve had under Labor. (Time expired)