PETER BARRY, JIM BARRY WINES: Welcome everybody, and I certainly welcome Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Steven Marshall, a great friend of tourism and a great ambassador for South Australia to my family winery here in Clare. It’s a special day to have all these dignitaries. I’m surrounded by my family and I’m surrounded by dignitaries and friends. So, thank you very much. And South Australia’s in good state and we’re in good strength, and we’re lucky to have these great ambassadors promoting our wonderful industry, especially Anne Ruston over there who’s a great friend of the Australian wine industry. It’s lovely to see you Anne. I’ll hand you over now. On behalf of my family, thank you very much.

ROWAN RAMSEY MP, MEMBER FOR GREY: Well, thanks very much Peter and thanks very much to the Barry family for opening up the winery and turning on the sound system for us … Anyway so it’s a great pleasure to be here this morning. Particularly thank you to the Barry family for opening up their winery so we can have special visitors here. Of note, the Prime Minister, the Premier, the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor, and we’ve got Dan van Holst Pellekaan here as well, who is the State Minister for Energy. And as far as, you know, the Clare Valley’s only come into my electorate at the last election and I’m very pleased that it has. So I’m still familiarising myself with the leaders in the wine industry, but it is such an important part of South Australia, not just for wine production but the Clare Valley itself is a very important tourist attraction, and at the moment everything, I can tell you, in regional South Australia tourism is just jumping off the page. And it’s come about because other policies that the Federal Government’s had, the State Government, but largely the JobKeeper program, which is winding up now. But it’s so good, it’s always good to have any Minister on your patch. It’s even better to have the Prime Minister and the Premier on your patch. So I’m going to hand over to the PM now, and thank you very much.

PRIME MINISTER: Thank you very much Rowan, and it’s great to be here with you and everybody who’s joined us here today, particularly Premier Marshall, it’s wonderful to be standing here. He’s been a tremendous partner for the Federal Government in everything we’re doing, and we’re so pleased to see the positive impact it’s having here in South Australia. But to you Peter and your wonderful family, this past week I’ve met some great pioneers who I’ve known well and it’s been a great privilege to come and meet you and your family. The Barry name is synonymous with Australian wine, it’s synonymous with quality, it’s synonymous with South Australia, in particular, and the great pioneering spirit of South Australia. It was great to be able to take the opportunity to sign one of the big vats in there, and simply say thank you for the contribution the Barry family has made to Australia. So it’s a great privilege for us to be with you here today.

But I’m joined by my Energy Minister and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor for a very important reason, with his counterpart here in South Australia, to announce the third energy deal that we have put together with the states and territories. Following New South Wales and Tasmania, the Premier and I and our Ministers have agreed this important energy deal, which is about something pretty straightforward - more affordable, lower costs, more affordable energy for South Australian’s. Lower prices, reliable energy. It’s about having the gas that is needed to drive manufacturing and support industry and to support the transition that we are making to the new energy economy into the future. This deal is a billion-dollar deal and it’s a billion-dollar deal which brings both of the parties to the table to ensure we are doing everything we can to ensure that South Australian’s get lower cost, more affordable, more reliable energy, to support lower costs for their households and their family, to support more jobs and the businesses that they run, but importantly also, lower emissions for the future, both here in South Australia and more broadly, by backing in the incredible technology that Australia is and will continue to lead the world in. Hydrogen in particular. Hydrogen, that fuel, Australia is being known as the hydrogen nation. Australia is being looked to, to transform how hydrogen is developed and used, particularly in business and in heavy industry. The big gains that will be made towards getting towards net zero are going to be made because of the innovations and technologies, and particularly in the area of hydrogen, because that is what can drive large-scale achievements, large-scale industries, large-scale heavy industries, by both lowering the cost, lowering the emissions profile, and ensuring greater reliability. So that is our pathway, and this deal today with the South Australian Government ensures that we achieve that.

There’s a component, and I’ll let Angus go into the detail, interconnectors, Strzelecki Highway, investing in new technologies out of the various funds that we’ve established at a federal level and dedicating that towards the important projects, whether it’s on carbon capture, use of storage and the other many important technologies that will see Australia get ahead, but keep our industries industrious, to keep our businesses in business. And this will be demonstrated here in South Australia. This is a smart state, and it’s great to be here. We’re usually at Lot Fourteen talking about cyber and space and the other wonderful partnerships, but this is an important partnership which drives all of the others, because without lower cost, affordable, reliable  energy, with lower emissions then, that is what is necessary to drive this state forward and Australia forward. So I want to thank the Premier for his great partnership on this and so many other issues. The Australian Government and the South Australian Government is working together like we haven’t done, I think, for decades. And I think the approach of the Premier here in South Australia to work with the Australian Government, rather than the alternative, I think is delivering real dividends for South Australia, and I thank him for his leadership on that and I’m happy for him to now speak to the South Australian component of the deal.

THE HON. STEVEN MARSHALL MP, PREMIER OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA: Well thanks very much PM, and it’s great to have you here in the Clare Valley, a very beautiful part of our state, but also a very productive part of our state. And you’re quite right, energy is absolutely critical. When we came to Government we had the highest priced, least reliable grid in the entire country. We have been working very hard. We’ve cut out all the fake fights, this is the crucial thing. We’ve cut out all those fake fights, those ideological fights, and we put the people of South Australia first. Energy prices are coming down. This new agreement for energy and emissions reductions is going to take us to the next level. It is all about lower cost energy, it’s about lower emissions, and importantly it’s about creating jobs in the renewable sector here in our state. And there are a range of projects that we will be looking at, federal and state together - projects like hydrogen export, projects like carbon capture and storage, and of course this MoU underpins our ambition for an interconnector between South Australia and the most populated state of Australia, New South Wales. Lots of gains have been made. In fact, in many ways South Australia leads the nation. We’ve got 60 per cent of our energy which is now coming from renewable sources. This is going to increase in the future, but we've got to do it in a way which is going to ensure that we keep our prices affordable so that we can maximise the number of jobs in our state. I really want to say a massive thank you to Angus Taylor, to Dan van Holst Pellekaan, and their departments - the energy departments, federal and state - working together, putting the people of South Australia, the people of Australia first, putting the people first, cheap, reliable, affordable energy here in Australia. It is going to be absolutely crucial to making sure that we can continue to roll out from this coronavirus that has affected not just Australia but the entire world. So more affordable, more reliable energy, lower emissions, and more jobs in the sector is the focus of this. We’re very grateful to be working with the Federal Government once again and now I’ll pass over to Angus Taylor.

THE HON. ANGUS TAYLOR MP, MINISTER FOR ENERGY AND EMISSIONS REDUCTION: Thanks, Steven. PM, colleagues, fantastic to be here to announce what is a terrific deal for South Australia, for the Commonwealth, but most importantly, the more affordable, reliable energy for South Australia as we bring down our emissions in South Australia, and as Steven said, South Australia is delivering. We've seen sharp reductions in prices across Australia - nine per cent in the last 12 months - and South Australia is leading the pack on that from a starting position, when Steven came into Government, which was very different. We are seeing extraordinary gains. We have seen a 19 per cent reduction in emissions across Australia since 2005, and South Australia is pulling its weight on that one, and we’re doing that through practical plans, through technology, not taxation. And this billion-dollar deal is a step forward to further reducing electricity prices, making sure they’re reliable, and of course bringing down emissions at the same time.

Now let me point to a few features of this deal. The first is a $400 million commitment from the Commonwealth to emissions reduction by investing in practical technologies that will bring down emissions. Hydrogen of course is one of those, the Prime Minister’s talked about, carbon capture and storage, energy efficiency. We’re here on a, at a vineyard where we have seen very significant energy efficiency gains in recent times and we are seeing this right across Australia, a major contributor to how we are bringing down emissions across the country. A $50 million commitment from the Commonwealth Government into the interconnect between South Australia and the eastern states. There’s a commitment here from the South Australian Government to get more gas into our network - 50 petajoules of gas by 2023 and up to 80 by 2030. And this is all about making sure we’ve got the gas we need to firm up our grid and support manufacturing in this country, which is so reliant on gas, which over time will include hydrogen, of course, an enormous opportunity for South Australia. Included in the deal is over $100 million committed to energy storage and solar thermal, and this is an important part of our commitment to making sure we've got that backup and storage that’s needed to keep the lights on and drive down prices. A big thank you to the South Australian Government, a big thank you to Dan who has been, of course, instrumental on the South Australian side in achieving these outcomes and most of all, this is a great day for reliable, affordable energy as we bring down our emissions.

THE HON. DAN VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN MP, SOUTH AUSTRALIAN MINISTER FOR ENERGY AND MINING: Well thank you, Angus, and thank you very much to the Barry family for hosting us here today for this important announcement. Wonderful to have the Prime Minister and the Premier here and my friend and colleague Minister Angus Taylor as well. South Australia is leading the nation and in many ways leading the world in our transition to cleaner and cheaper energy. This is not just about emissions reduction. It is actually about emissions reduction while also bringing down the cost of electricity and making the supply of electricity more reliable. So we really welcome this partnership with the Federal Government to allow us to work collaboratively together for the benefit of our state and for the benefit of our nation. $660 million from the Federal Government, $422 million from the State Government to work towards this transition, things like interconnection, electric vehicles, hydrogen, carbon storage, building efficiency and much, much more to make sure that we transition in a responsible way that works for energy consumers. We know that gas will be with us in South Australia and Australia for a long time to come, but we also know that we’re well down this path of transition. Right now in South Australia we use 40 per cent gas for electricity generation. In 2025, four short years away, we only expect to use 22 per cent gas for electricity generation in South Australia. What that means is while we remain and intend to remain a key gas producer by national standards [inaudible] in South Australia, we will be able to free up significant amounts of gas for the eastern states which are following us in this transition. We are leading and they will, with our help and the Federal Government’s help, also be able to do the things that we are doing in South Australia. Cheaper electricity, more reliable electricity and cleaner electricity. Thank you.

PRIME MINISTER: I can assure you that this [inaudible] had nothing to do with the [inaudible] negotiations, purely unrelated incident I can assure you. Happy to take questions. Please focus questions at first on the announcement today and then obviously happy to deal with any other matters.

JOURNALIST: Certainly. Prime Minister, do you expect that energy prices could be an election defining issue over the next 12 months?

PRIME MINISTER: It’s a defining issue for Australians and Australian businesses and that’s what matters. That’s why this deal was put in place, that’s why we’re so focused on it. Australia, I believe, will lead the world in transformational technologies, particularly those serving heavy industries and large industrial operations, including ones like this. I mean, what Peter was telling us when we’re here is that when he started out many, many years ago, and it is still very much the industry practice, wine is kept at about 18 to 20 degrees. Here it’s kept at four. Now that doesn’t happen by accident. That happens by a company, a family company, business, deciding that they want to embrace new technology, take on that science, invest it into their business. You can see the significant capital investment which the Barry family has put in. Now that  investment pays off because of deals like this because it drives down the cost, creates more opportunities, it builds the quality of the product and it makes Australia more competitive. So the issue is one of lower prices for the families and households for their electricity bills, but it is also unleashing the opportunities amongst our entrepreneurs and our business pioneers and guaranteeing and underwriting for the future the heavy industry in Australia.

JOURNALIST: And you’re here today because of this investment making announcement in the Clare Valley, you’ve chosen to Jim Barry Wines for the work they’ve done?

PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, that’s right. The reason we came here today is they are transforming their business by electrifying it. I mean, there are few older industries or businesses in the world than winemaking and it has gone through many generations. Particularly in the Barry family, as we can see the young girls here are going, heading on to a new generation as well. But this is a business that is highly science-led and highly technology-led to maintain Australia’s edge. Australia’s wines aren’t just the best in the world because of what we grow out of the ground here, it’s what happens in the laboratories here and the work they’ve done to put in the new equipment, the new kit and that is so dependent on the technology that is used to drive energy in Australia. You’ve got the new ammonia cooling system which is over here, you’ve got an electrification to the system in the refrigeration you can see right through all these tanks, and so on. So this is a practical demonstration of why lower cost, more affordable and reliable energy is so important because it underwrites the jobs here. Now the jobs here and so many other parts of South Australia were underwritten by JobKeeper over the past 12 months and I really appreciate what Peter had to say about that. But that’s to deal with the crisis. To deal with the challenges ahead, you need deals like this in place to underwrite the jobs that are here and back in the pioneering spirit the Barry family has always exemplified.

JOURNALIST: Further to jobs in regional South Australia Prime Minister, another energy intensive industry is the steelworks in Whyalla. How prepared is your Government to step in if needed to rescue that facility?

PRIME MINISTER: Well I’ll let the Premier give you an update on that. We’re working very closely together. When you work on projects like this you have to do it as a team with one plan and we all understand our roles in that plan. We’ve played a major role as Rowan will know. We’ve been working on this for five years now Rowan, we’ve been through a few of these. And our procurement policies with the major rail investments has been a lifesaver to Whyalla. We’ve been working closely with the South Australian Government, dealing directly, also, as they have been, working to the one plan and working together to get the right outcome because we are committed to ensuring that Australia makes steel. We’re committed to that, and I know the Premier’s committed to that as well. So I’ll let Steven give you an update on where that’s at.

THE HON. STEVEN MARSHALL MP, PREMIER OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA: Thanks Prime Minister. Well obviously the GFG business is very important to us here in South Australia, but more importantly it’s a critical capability that we need continuing here in Australia for our nation. Steel manufacturing is absolutely crucial to our ambitions as a nation. Now obviously with the situation with green steel going into administration, that’s put a huge pressure onto the GFG businesses here in Australia and right around the world. I think I am feeling cautiously optimistic at the moment because I think the fundamentals for the Whyalla business are right. If you look at the iron ore price at the moment it’s through the roof. You look at the production rates of that plant, they are almost best ever. We know that they have a very full order book, courtesy of the Federal Government, with some massive, massive contracts and we’re seeing their creditor payments come down, not blowout. So I think the fundamentals for this business are right. We obviously are working with Sanjeev Gupta and his GFG team in Australia. It’s a real collaboration between the Federal Government, the State Government and obviously the GFG team. We hope that we will be able to hear some good news ahead of that May 6 deadline when the NSW Supreme Court will be hearing that application for administration. But I'm quietly confident. When I spoke to Sanjeev Gupta this time last week he was increasingly confident that he will be able to get that credit arrangement in place.