Matt Burnell (Spence, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I was eagerly awaiting the topic of today's MPI. When it finally arrived, I was somewhat gobsmacked. Energy prices! It's an important matter most definitely, but I can only gather that the topic—heavily workshopped, I'm sure—had been through a few drafts. I'm sure that one of the originals probably made mention to 'these energy price increases of the former Liberal government's own making', but, alas, the censor's pen came out and removed those key words.

Naturally, as we all know, you can't talk about the increase in power prices without first talking about the member for Hume. I'm disappointed the member for Hume isn't in the chamber for this. I would feel so Zen if I possessed the lack of self-awareness for my actions as the member for Hume does concerning this debate. I'm sure he sleeps well, like a baby, at night. The member for Hume was the minister responsible up to the bitter end of the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government, the ATM government. Their stink still resonates on power prices and on the energy debate, and will continue to do so for some time to come. If I lacked the ability to feel contrition or remorse, I'd probably come into this chamber too and, without skipping a beat, gleefully criticise a government that is tasked with tackling nine years of policy inaction, obfuscation and vandalism in the energy policy space. It all comes back to the member for Hume.

You would think that one of the biggest revelations on energy policy to come out after the demise of the ATM government was that the member for Cook was secretly also responsible for the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources, the secret minister for all and sundry, a fully cooked ministerial alphabet soup. Instead, we find out that, merely four days before the election was called, the member for Hume amended the industry code for electricity retailers to delay the release of increases in default market offers for New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia until after the election—until they turned off the lights on their way out. Of course, we found this out long after the election. This is their MO; it is craven and it's not one befitting someone holding high office. Now, the member for Hume is coming into this place, along with his loyal soldiers, saying that they pulled the pin from the energy price grenade as they were leaving office, and they ask us how we intend to fix their mess. It is valid to ask, sure, but I would naturally expect some more humility had this come from anyone other than a crowd that included the member for Hume. Amnesia is a wonderful thing—a wonderful trait for those in opposition. How convenient!

Unlike the member for Hume, the gift that keeps on giving truly is renewable energy. We understand the impact high energy prices are having on households and businesses. Working families are under pressure due to Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine and a decade of chaos and delay in domestic economic policy. The previous government oversaw four gigawatts of dispatchful power leaving the credit and only one gigawatt replacing it. These challenges won't go away overnight. With the states and private sector, we're investing $20 billion in the transmission grid, targeting 82 per cent renewables into the grid and reforming the market to reduce volatility and increase transparency for consumers. On this side, in this government, we are getting on with the job of governing. The decade of denial and delay is over, good people of Australia. The adults are back in town, and we will continue to do all we can to bring down the cost-of-living pressures for you.

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