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

I thank my honourable friend for the question. As the member knows, and the House knows, the budget contained a range of measures to help Australian households and businesses deal with energy prices.

We delivered the Household Savings Plan, which provides real support to families and to businesses who want to reduce their emissions and their bills by investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy. Of course, the budget also delivered on the energy relief package that we announced last year and that was negotiated by the Treasurer and his state and territory colleagues.

We have now very real evidence, Treasury analysis, of the impact of the government's intervention last year and in the budget. Those honourable members opposite will be very interested to hear; they're apparently interested in measures which reduce household costs. They want to know what's being done to reduce household costs and inflation. I'm very happy to inform the House what the impact of the government's interventions, both the coal and the gas cap and the rebates to affected families, have meant. For example, in New South Wales—where families were facing a 40 per cent increase in power prices before the government's intervention—for those who are receiving the rebates, now they will receive a seven per cent decrease in their energy bills. In Victoria, the difference is $481 for families across Victoria. In Queensland: the honourable members from Queensland, opposite, will be very interested to hear that they were facing—a matter of interest to you, I know, Mr Speaker—a 43 per cent increase, now a 10 per cent decrease in their energy bills after the intervention. South Australia was facing a 51 per cent increase in their power bills. Due to the Albanese government's intervention it's now a five per cent cut in their energy bills for those who are receiving the rebates. Tasmania was facing a 29 per cent increase but is now facing a 10 per cent decrease. The ACT, with 100 per cent renewables, is a little bit different. It was facing a 3.5 per cent increase, now a 15 per cent decrease. Those members opposite, who voted against the intervention, voted for higher power prices are.

I'm asked what policies we rejected. We've rejected doing nothing, which was the opposition's approach. We've rejected inserting the most expensive form of energy: nuclear. But we look forward to tonight, when we'll hear more plans. Perhaps we'll get the costings—

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