Cathy O'Toole (Herbert, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

When I read this motion moved by the member for Dawson, George Christensen, I was really perplexed as to why he would move such a motion—because he is pointing out a list of energy issues that have occurred under his government and he is drawing attention to the fact that the Turnbull government has not delivered, and will not deliver, anything to address North Queensland's energy crisis. This motion is placing a huge red target on the member for Dawson about how electricity costs have reached record highs under the Abbott and Turnbull government's and how his government is not going to do anything about it in the north.

In fact, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, one of the world's most respected energy market analysis firms, has trashed the Turnbull government's coal plan. In their statement 'New coal, the most expensive form of new supply', BNEF estimated the cost of electricity from new power plants using different technologies and concluded that the Turnbull government's favoured 'ultra super-critical' coal power is more expensive than solar, gas and wind alternatives. The report states: 'If new coal were to be built in Australia, electricity prices would be substantially higher than with a combination of wind, solar and gas.'

Therefore, it beggars belief that the member for Dawson would put this motion up. The thinking people in North Queensland would prefer to burn this motion and use the energy to assist with our rising energy costs. This motion does nothing to lower the cost of energy in North Queensland. As we have just heard, it will in fact increase exorbitant prices. Does the member for Dawson honestly think that North Queenslanders can take some solace from this motion? When this government is doing nothing, the best the member can do is stand in this place and offer a more expensive alternative. The simple fact is that there is nothing—zero, zilch—in the Turnbull government's budget to address North Queensland's energy crisis. Surely if the member for Dawson cared one iota about the increased electricity costs in North Queensland he would have put up a motion and made sure that we had something delivered in the budget.

North Queensland does not want hollow words—we certainly do not want a pointless, more expensive motion here in Canberra—we want real action. As it appears that the Turnbull government has not a clue what to do to address North Queensland's energy crisis, allow me to shed some light on the subject: it is one of the largest dams in Australia, it is five times the size of Sydney Harbour and its catchment area is bigger than England. This massive resource sits right in the electorate of Dawson and it can address both the north's water security and its energy crisis—a 'two birds with one stone' solution. I am of course talking about the Burdekin Falls Dam.

Mr Katter interjecting—

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