Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health) Share this | Hansard source

Well, we're 16 months into the Albanese Labor government, and all we have are half-truths and flat-out obfuscation. Australians crunched by the cost of living have good reason to be bewildered by the policies this government is legislating. Renewables are apparently the cheapest form of energy, yet we learn that the statements so blithely repeated by the energy minister rely on inaccurate information supplied by CSIRO, based on the GenCost report, which fails to mention sunk costs and relies on information dating back to 2005. Who knew? Meanwhile, the Labor government vehemently opposes nuclear, when in fact nuclear is cheaper, we find out, than renewables. In a paper published in the Journal of Energy, German-American energy economist Robert Idel reported on the full cost of renewables in an energy system, finding that solar is 14 times more costly than nuclear, and wind is 4.7 times more costly.

Labor's blatant dishonesty on the cost of renewables ignores the full development and life cycle of renewables, from raw materials to manufacturing to steel and concrete, to their construction lifespan and return to landfill—the cost and poor planning of 10,000 kilometres of transmission poles and wires by 2030 reliant on coal for manufacture. And that is a distance that will expand to 28,000 kilometres by 2050.

While Australia retains a politically motivated ban on nuclear, other countries, such as Sweden, are walking away from renewables and heading to nuclear. Australia has the second-largest natural resource of uranium in the world, and we manage waste exceptionally well. Indeed, I stood next to three cylindrical waste silos at the Lucas Heights reactor recently. They will last for 100 years. Newer reactors will re-use nuclear waste, reducing the storage requirements by substantial measures. Why does Labor want us to apologise for our abundant sources of uranium, coal, minerals and gas, which we happily export to fund our welfare, health and education of the nation? If we continue blindly down the renewables railroad, we will still require firming power that keeps lights on and heaters working when the sun goes down and the wind fails to blow.

The Prime Minister is also yet to give a direct answer to his repeated election promise that power bills would go down by $275. Labor made this promise in the election 97 times, and the Prime Minister and the energy minister consistently blamed the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began 18 months ago. The Prime Minister continued to make the claim that power prices would go down after the war began. Obfuscation and blame shifting does not help Brendan Reinheimer in my electorate, whose power bills have risen by $978. Businesses in Mallee, such as Mildura Fruit Juices Australia, have seen their electricity costs rise by $500,000 in a year. Yet Labor does not apologise or acknowledge their pain. Seriously, does the Prime Minister think the Australia public are 'useful idiots', as Marx did? He owes Australians more respect than that.

While mum-and-dad families are hurting under this Labor-induced cost-of-living crisis, the Prime Minister is focused on his pet projects, such as the Voice. We have so many half-truths from the Prime Minister and his ministers regarding the Voice constitutional change that it's no wonder people are confused or discombobulated. The Prime Minister tells us the referendum is just a modest proposal for recognition in the Constitution—no argument here—but asks us to forget that he is actually committed to the Voice, treaty and truth and the full Uluru Statement from the Heart, which seeks all of the above and more, including reparations. So, which is it? When we ask for details of the outcomes of the constitutional change, once again we are given nothing substantial. Why? Is it because the Prime Minister knows that the truth would see support for the Voice plummet? We find that Labor has committed $26 million on the Makarrata Commission, with almost $1 million already spent since the budget. 'On what?' the Prime Minister is asked. He treats us as though we are stupid. Why can't he give a straight answer? Voters will not be taken for mugs and they can see a tricky government distracted from the real crises from a mile away.

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