Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

In relation to rising power prices: that's the option they took. And there has been a bit of a development in recent days on this important topic which will be of interest to the House, because, previously, the member for Hume denied hiding the power price rises. He said it didn't happen. Then he said he didn't know about the power price rises when he changed the law. And then last week at the National Press Club, he said, 'I was acting on departmental advice.' How pathetic, to blame your public servants for your decision. That's how pathetic these guys are! Blaming the department! That's what they've lowered to.

On this side of the House we take the alternative approach. That's why the Prime Minister, the Treasurer, the industry ministry, the resources minister and myself have made it very clear: we will not be standing by and watching the prices of coal and gas just flow through to Australian industries and households. That's what you did, and you didn't have the guts to tell the Australian people that you couldn't help them with power prices. You hid it from the Australian people. That's how pathetic you got and that's how pathetic you still are!

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