Mr COULTER - 1999-04-28
Mr COULTER (Leader of Government Business): Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the question paper. Whilst I’m on my feet, I will try and explain to the people who created a lot of confusion over that side this morning what I said. When I’m in trouble I love quoting myself, because I get myself out of trouble.
Yesterday, I said to you - and read your Hansard. It says: ‘But if you look, sure we are the highest at 14.12 followed closely by Melbourne at 13.94’. That’s the graph. That’s in the budget. It’s the same budget graph that you have there. Do you understand that? That’s step 1. Sure we are the highest. 14.12. That’s what I said yesterday. Okay?
Mr Bailey: We’re the highest.
Mr COULTER: Right. Okay. No problems with that? That’s what I said yesterday. That’s the graph.
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr COULTER: Is there any problems now between the Treasurer and myself? The budget papers are correct.
Mr Bailey: We have the highest domestic electricity.
Mr COULTER: However, I then went on to say, if you look at the domestic electricity prices standard domestic tariff, now this is a nationwide, if you’re going to compare …
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr COULTER: I’m not sure if you’re interested in this. Okay, be quiet then. If you look at the standard domestic …
Mr Bailey:Interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr COULTER: I beg your pardon?
Mr Bailey: Now, bring out the other charges.
Mr COULTER: What charges?
Mr Bailey: Those charges which are the basis for the budget paper.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Order! The member for Wanguri. There is no capacity for a cross-Chamber conversation.
Mr COULTER: I’m trying to explain something to you. So what Mr Tobin did was try and compare apples with apples, across Australia. Look I’m happy to get him over to your side. I’ve already explained that to you. I’m happy to get him over there to try to explain to you. This is, in fact, where I used the line that I buy you books, and I buy you books and you sit down and chew the cover off them, and I was right. I mean, how right was I?
What happens here is the standard tariff throughout Australia is only 3500kW. Elsewhere in Australia, only 42% of their energy requirements is electricity. In the Northern Territory, the average consumption is 7600kW hours and when you compare apples with apples across 3500kW, we turned up here, according to Mr Tobin, and he’s right. That is the answer to their problem.
Yesterday, I said to you - and read your Hansard. It says: ‘But if you look, sure we are the highest at 14.12 followed closely by Melbourne at 13.94’. That’s the graph. That’s in the budget. It’s the same budget graph that you have there. Do you understand that? That’s step 1. Sure we are the highest. 14.12. That’s what I said yesterday. Okay?
Mr Bailey: We’re the highest.
Mr COULTER: Right. Okay. No problems with that? That’s what I said yesterday. That’s the graph.
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr COULTER: Is there any problems now between the Treasurer and myself? The budget papers are correct.
Mr Bailey: We have the highest domestic electricity.
Mr COULTER: However, I then went on to say, if you look at the domestic electricity prices standard domestic tariff, now this is a nationwide, if you’re going to compare …
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr COULTER: I’m not sure if you’re interested in this. Okay, be quiet then. If you look at the standard domestic …
Mr Bailey:Interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr COULTER: I beg your pardon?
Mr Bailey: Now, bring out the other charges.
Mr COULTER: What charges?
Mr Bailey: Those charges which are the basis for the budget paper.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Order! The member for Wanguri. There is no capacity for a cross-Chamber conversation.
Mr COULTER: I’m trying to explain something to you. So what Mr Tobin did was try and compare apples with apples, across Australia. Look I’m happy to get him over to your side. I’ve already explained that to you. I’m happy to get him over there to try to explain to you. This is, in fact, where I used the line that I buy you books, and I buy you books and you sit down and chew the cover off them, and I was right. I mean, how right was I?
What happens here is the standard tariff throughout Australia is only 3500kW. Elsewhere in Australia, only 42% of their energy requirements is electricity. In the Northern Territory, the average consumption is 7600kW hours and when you compare apples with apples across 3500kW, we turned up here, according to Mr Tobin, and he’s right. That is the answer to their problem.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016