Josh Burns (Macnamara, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to congratulate the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, because this morning we had the very welcome news that the default market offer was trending in the right direction: it was trending down. Unlike those opposite, we want to make sure—and we'll act in this place to ensure—that there is real cost-of-living relief for Australian businesses and Australian households, and to make cheaper energy.

The way in which we're doing that is evidenced by things like capping coal and gas prices—which they over there all voted against. They all voted against capping coal and gas prices. We also want to invest in renewable energy—the cheapest form of energy, and something that those opposite have fought each and every day in this place. The other thing we've done is give $3 billion of investment in electricity price rebates to households and small businesses, something that those opposite voted against. That was because we know that the cheapest form of energy is renewable energy.

But what does 'radioactive' man want to do? He wants to go towards the most expensive form of energy. He wants to make Australian consumers, Australian households and Australian businesses pay through the roof for their energy bills. Well, we're going to keep investing in the cheapest form of energy. We know that solar and wind are part of their ideological war against lower power prices, but we know those things are good for the environment and good for Australian households. We will fight the Liberals and the Nationals on their crazy war against renewables each and every day.

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