Energy Supply Security

Mr MICHAEL DALEY: Can the Premier update the House on the Government's plans to secure the State's future energy needs?

The SPEAKER: Order! Members will cease calling out. I call the member for Manly to order.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: This is the twentieth position the Leader of the Opposition has had on the issue since April of last year.

The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Bega and the member for Clarence to order.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: Securing the State's energy supply is the most important microeconomic reform for decades. It is all about ensuring that New South Wales has enough electricity to secure our economic prosperity. The Government is moving ahead with our proposal to introduce the electricity restructuring bills, of which we have given notice.

The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Willoughby to order for the second time.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: The Government will introduce a bill dealing with the Auditor-General's role.

Mr Andrew Stoner: You weren't going to.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: We were, from the beginning. As we have made it very clear, the Government has no difficulty whatsoever in accommodating a role for the Auditor-General. We were not going to allow the State's future electricity supply to get caught up in an argument about whether the Auditor-General has the power at the end or the beginning of the process.

The SPEAKER: Order! Members will cease calling out.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: I will go through the five conditions that were attached to the Opposition's press release following its backflip on Thursday afternoon: Auditor-General, pensioner rebates, social safety net, jobs guarantee and impact statements.

The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Bathurst to order. I call the member for Epping to order.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: Those were matters the Government had either already announced—

[Interruption]

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: As the Minister for Police said, they were in response to the Owen and Unsworth inquiries. The current Act does not enable the Auditor-General to be involved at the beginning of the process. We will amend the Act to enable the Auditor-General to be involved at the beginning of the process. The Government has no difficulty with that course of action whatsoever.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of The Nationals will cease interjecting.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: The Auditor-General will examine the appropriateness of the strategy to maximise the financial value for taxpayers. It is eminently reasonable that he should do so. He will examine the proposed transaction methods and sequencing.

The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Clarence to order for the second time.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: The Auditor-General will undertake his task at the beginning of the process. As his current powers do not permit him to do so—they only allow him to be involved at the end—that will require an amendment to the legislation. The Government is happy to take this action in the interests of transparency, accountability and, above all, securing the State's future prosperity.