Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

The point that we have to recognise is that energy policy has failed Australians over a very long time. It is a fact that we have to address and we have to redress. The difference between our side of the House and Labor's is that we recognise that failure, and we're getting on with sorting out the problems we inherited. We are getting on and dealing with it. We are ensuring that Australians are getting discounts on their energy bills right now. We're ensuring that wholesale gas prices are coming down right now. We're ensuring that we're planning for the future of an energy market that will deliver the emissions reductions we need and deliver the clean energy Australians expect but will also deliver affordable and reliable power.

The Labor Party can assume, if they like, as has been done in the past, that you can bring more variable energy into the grid and do nothing about backup or storage. If you want to continue doing that, you'll have more blackouts and more blackout bills to pay for. We believe that energy policy must be guided by engineering and economics, and that's what we're doing—ensuring that we have all the measures in place to protect Australians.

Mr Burke interjecting—

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