Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Hansard source

It means that we have a risk to the reliability of our energy supply in our hospitals, such as Colac Hospital, Echuca Hospital, and hospitals right around Victoria. We also have a risk to the affordability of energy right across Victoria's health service. We saw in the Colac Herald the report that Colac Area Health is facing a 78 to 80 per cent increase, or an additional $420,000 to $430,000 cost per annum. These are real costs that could have gone to better maternity services, better diabetes services and better health care for senior Australians in the Corangamite electorate and in every equivalent electorate around Victoria. That's why we're taking action. That's why the Prime Minister, the Treasurer and the energy minister have worked on a National Energy Guarantee, which is about dealing with the damage done by Labor policies in their renewables approach, in their approach to cutting down exploration for gas and in their extraordinary actions in blowing up a power station in South Australia and closing down Hazelwood in Victoria.

The electricity guarantee is about two very simple things. It's about making sure that there are lower costs for hospitals and for families—up to $115 a year in reduced pressure for families—and more reliable electricity for hospitals and for families, as opposed to the alternative of a $66 billion plan, which comes from Labor's 45 per cent target. That 45 per cent target means that the costs will be borne by hospitals, by families and by pensioners. At the end of the day, if you believe in reliable hospitals and better hospitals, you believe in our approach to downward pressure on prices. (Time expired)

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