QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator AYRES (New South Wales—Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science) (14:05): I think I said yesterday, controversially, that a question that I was asked was dishonest. The question that you just asked is, at best, wilfully misdirected—a wilful misunderstanding of the position. Of course, you only need to grapple with the economic and engineering realities of this to agree with the Australian Energy Market Commission, who say: Delaying the connection of renewable generation and transmission into the market would put upward pressure on residential electricity costs.

What we know for certain is that, under your disorderly transition scenario, prices would be higher. Under our scenario, prices would be lower than they otherwise would.