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

We thank the opposition for their question. I must say it represents a very significant level of courage for the opposition to come in and ask about a package that they opposed, to ask what impact it has, when they sat there and voted against it on multiple occasions. They say there's no courage in Australian politics. I beg to differ! The chutzpah is very impressive from those opposite. In December we put to the House a very simple proposition: that Australian gas companies should be required to sell Australian gas, from under Australian soil and Australia seas, to Australians for a reasonable price—for $12 a gigajoule—going forward. Those opposite think they should be able to charge unreasonable prices. That's their position—that they should be able to charge unreasonable prices. The fact of the matter is that, in 2021, 96 per cent of gas was sold for under the cap. Those opposite say it's a disaster, that gas companies should be able to sell for more than that. We say it's reasonable and we say Australian gas companies should continue to supply gas at reasonable prices, and we're confident they will.

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