Damian Drum (Murray, National Party, Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Right now, for the first time in quite a while, there is an absolute gulf between the coalition's energy policies and those of the Labor Party. Whilst the Labor Party have previously been sitting on the fence, it now seems they are coming out in abject opposition to the National Energy Guarantee, and it seems as though they are now talking about the fact that higher electricity costs are not a problem for the Australian people but are in fact proof that the system is working. The Labor Party now has this modus operandi which effectively says, 'When we have really high electricity prices, that's proof that everything is just fine.' It's a huge gulf in policy. It's a difference in priorities between those of us representing regional areas, where we understand that many people are having trouble paying their energy bills, be they electricity or gas. More importantly, when they head off to work in high-energy industries and businesses, they're under pressure to hold their jobs, because of the sheer cost of running those businesses.

All this has happened in a state where the Labor Party has a moratorium on gas extraction and exploration. They have some scientific process to look at where the reserves of gas are, but if you want to cut through all the rubbish, you'll find that nothing has happened in relation to gas. They are scared senseless in Victoria, and the state Labor Party are doing absolutely nothing when it comes to onshore gas. They're happy for another part of Australia, like Western Australia, to develop a gas industry and pipe or ship gas over to Victoria, but they don't want any onshore gas in Victoria, because while it's okay for another state, somehow or other it's not okay for Victoria. They are quite happy for the cost of energy and electricity in Victoria to go through the roof, because they have a system of thinking that says, 'We're going to be the environmental guardians of our own state,' but are happy to bring gas into the system that has been extracted in other states. I heard the previous speaker talk about how we should be looking at more wind and solar, backed up by gas. That's fine for Western Australia. I hope that's what they do in Western Australia. We're not allowed to do that in Victoria, because Victoria has stopped any drilling or extraction of gas in that state.

Any onshore gas is taboo, even though none of the 1.5 million gas wells around the world have any scientific evidence to suggest contamination of aquifers or some health problems for the people surrounding them. However, the GetUp!s, the Lock the Gates, the Labor Party and the Greens are all still talking about the evils associated with extracting natural gas from wells around Australia. Unfortunately the poor people in Victoria have to wear this, because that's the leadership that they have. The arguments around gas were previously described by former Labor Party Queensland Premier Anna Bligh, I think, as the worst policy debate that Australia has ever had, because fear, sensationalism and lies have overcome the science. As we know, many of the people in the Greens, and the GetUp!s and the Lock the Gates, are continually putting to the National Party, 'Why don't you believe in climate change and accept the science?' I accept the science associated with climate change; why don't the Labor Party and the Greens accept the science when it comes to gas? They're too scared to accept that there is no science with a negative view of gas exploration.

The current main industry players in Australia are hugely supportive of the NEG. The vast majority of the government party room are hugely supportive of the NEG. The Labor Party seem to think it's a crime if you have a view outside that of the party room, but we in the National and Liberal parties think it the best thing ever that you can speak your mind in this parliament. (Time expired)

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