The Project

WALEED ALY: Christopher Pyne is a proud South Australian, he’s the Member for Sturt there and also the Minister for Defence Industry. Minister you were at the Adele concert last night so you know how devastating a blackout can be. In the circumstances, can you see why Jay Weatherill would make this decision to go it alone?

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Well, I don't actually Waleed, because the South Australian government has been saying for the last year or so that they were the fathers of the national electricity market, that they were the leaders of it, that they created it, that they nurtured it and now apparently they are going alone and leaving the national electricity market. So their policy is very confused, it is basically a $550 million admission of failure and they shouldn't try and go it alone. They should work with the Commonwealth Government and the other states.

CARRIE BICKMORE: Can we talk about the Grattan report, Christopher. It’s found that deregulation has failed customers right around the country. Will the Federal Government be looking into this?

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: De-regulation hasn’t failed consumers or businesses. What has failed consumers is Labor governments pursuing ludicrous renewable energy targets of 50%, whether it is in Victoria, Queensland or in South Australia and, therefore, not putting in place the things like battery powered - battery storage or pumped hydro storage…

WALEED ALY: I admire your ability to bring this always back to renewables, Minister, but that is not what this report was about at all. It was talking about the price of power sky rocketing, this is a national problem. One of the states that this has been most severe in is Queensland which is not very dependent on renewables at all. It has overwhelmingly a coal-driven power market and it’s saying the reason for this is that competition in the market has completely failed. Surely, consumers right now would want to hear you talk to those issues that are having a direct affect rather than making every question that isn’t even about renewables about renewables.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Waleed, I hear your criticism. You’re quite right, there needs to be a national approach, and that’s why South Australian Labor going it alone for the second time, for the first time with renewable energy, dare I say it, in case you pull me up, for the second time now leaving the national energy market, but that is why you need more competition which is why you need an all-of-the-above approach, exactly what you said, which included things like the northern power station, the pelican point gas fired power station…

WALEED ALY: No, no, I’m just saying that’s no what the report said, the report said that consumers are getting screwed because the way the competition in the sector is working isn't working for them. That has nothing to do with coal versus renewables, any of that, and yet every time there is a question that seems to be the only thing you want to talk about.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: No, no, what it says is you need more competition, which means you need more options. Like hydo power, like pumped hydro storage, like battery storage, like coal-fired power stations, gas fired power stations, solar, wind power, you need all of those things and if you have all of those things, you have got the competition and you have also got the fall-backs for when things don't work.

PETER HELLIAR: Minister Pyne it is great to see that you still have the fire in the belly, today is your 24th anniversary as a Minister. Congratulations.

WALEED ALY: Not as a Minister…

PETER HELLIAR: In parliament, sorry.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: I was one when I was elected, Pete!

PETER HELLIAR: In parliament. Is that why you were at the Adele concert, was that a little celebration for yourself?

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: It was a bit. My wife and I and our two daughters - I have got two sons and two daughters, we all went to the Adele concert. It was fantastic, I have tell you, absolutely fantastic. 75,000 people filled the Adelaide stadium, it was just a tremendously good night. She just really belts out a pop ballad, there is no doubt about it.

CARRIE BICKMORE: Are you going to see Bieber?

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: No.

(LAUGHTER)

WALEED ALY: Christopher Pyne, thank you very much for your time.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: I am too old for Justin Bieber.