Pat Conroy (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am proud to rise to speak on this MPI about the energy crisis created by this government. The previous speaker seemed to ignore the fact that the 'hostages' are hostage to four years of this hopeless government's energy policy vacuum. The government have abandoned any pretence of economic competence when it comes to energy policy. Instead, they are being driven by right-wing, fossil fuel, dinosaur ideology around 'renewables bad, coal good'. They are hopeless on this. They have abandoned any pretence of economic credibility.

This vacuum is actually impacting on workers and firms around this country right now. The Australian Energy Council, which is the peak group for generators and energy retailers, has estimated that the policy paralysis created by this government is the equivalent of a carbon price in excess of $50. Let me repeat that: this government's incompetence is the equivalent of levying a carbon price of $50 on the energy sector. This is the price of their incompetence. We are all paying this price, and urgent action is needed.

Our generator fleet is very, very old. The average age of a generator in Victoria is 40. In New South Wales it is 34. My home region of the Hunter produces one-third of the coal-fired power in this country, and I am very proud of that, but all four of those power stations have use-by dates set by the companies: Liddell, 2022; Vales Point, probably 2028; Eraring, 2024; and Bayswater, 2035. Those are the expiry dates set by the companies, not any government policy. We need urgent action to replace these generators.

The real question here is: how do we replace them at the least possible cost to Australian consumers? I am happy to say that the government commissioned modelling that very clearly recommended the way forward: an emissions intensity scheme. That is Labor's policy and it has been endorsed by a group of people that you would not consider to be friends of Labor. We have got the Business Council of Australia, BHP, AGL, EnergyAustralia, the National Farmers' Federation, Origin Energy, the Australian Energy Market Commission, CSIRO, Energy Networks Australia, the Chief Scientist, the Climate Change Authority, the CEFC, Danny Price—Malcolm Turnbull's old energy adviser—state governments and many more energy stakeholders.

And who stands in the way? Two groups stand in the way: One Nation and this government, which is hostage to One Nation. And what is the impact of this? The impact of this is: they are the party that is arguing for a policy that will cost $15 billion more for Australian consumers—and that is the government's own modelling. They do not like it when I throw back to them the government's own modelling, which says that Labor's policy will result in power prices up to $15 billion cheaper than what this joke of a government stands for.

This is a great pity, because we need an honest debate in this area. We need a debate amongst adults. But all we get from them is tired old rhetoric. We have got that joke of a Treasurer bringing a lump of coal into this place and pretending that is an answer. Well, I am proud to represent a coal community. My neighbours are coalminers. My friends are coalminers. And the worst thing you can do to workers is to lie to them, and every single member over there is lying to them by saying: 'Nothing needs to change. You can keep your head in the sand and you don't have to worry about anything.' That is a joke. It is a farce. It is disrespectful to those workers in the communities like mine that depend upon them.

On this side, Labor stands for a concrete plan that will deliver certainty to investors, to allow them to invest in the next generation of power production, whether it is gas, whether it is renewable, which will provide certainty to our consumers and will deliver power prices at an affordable level and employ more Australians. Those on the other side are betraying future generations. They will not be able to look their kids and their grandkids in the eyes, because they are betraying them for low-rent cheap political tricks. I feel sorry for them, because in 10 years time, if they are still in this place—and not many will be—they will have to recant their ridiculous 19th century views based on a profound cynicism and a disrespect for Australian workers. I proudly stand for the future. Those on the other side stand for the past.

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