Stephen Jones (Throsby, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development and Infrastructure) Share this | Hansard source

I am asked by the members opposite what I did when I was sitting on the other side of the House. I was the only member who brought this matter before parliament, and I did not enjoy any support from members opposite when I brought this before parliament as a private member's matter. I enjoyed no support from members opposite on this particular issue. There were declaratory cries and crocodile tears but no support and no action. Now you have the opportunity to do something about it. You have retailers and manufacturers crying out for action on this issue. You are now in government. It is time to act like a government and not like an opposition and address this impending crisis.

So I welcome the fact that you have picked up one of the bills prepared by Labor when we were in government to address the efficient allocation of exploration licences in the petroleum industry, but the job cannot stop there. If we are going to address energy security in this country then we cannot take our eye off the main game. It strikes Australians as bizarre that we are one of the world's wealthiest nations when it comes to natural gas resources yet we are going to be paying one of the highest prices for natural gas in this country, not because we have to but because of a deliberate policy by government to ensure that Australians pay some of the highest prices for natural gas in the world.

I commend the bill to the House. I think it is good legislation, but if members of this House are truly interested in ensuring that Australians reap the benefits of our bountiful supplies of energy then we have to address these impending crises, and I see no action at the moment. I see a big cry from industry. I see a big cry from gas suppliers saying, 'Complete the picture; do something about this.' So I call upon those opposite to do something about it, and you will enjoy support at least from this member of parliament in any efforts that you are able to make to ensure that businesses and households in my electorate and the adjoining electorates are not faced with some of the world's highest gas prices. While those opposite are whinging about the modest impact of a carbon price, they are taking their eye off the main game, and that main game is the price of gas in this country. I commend the legislation to the House.

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