Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy Affordability) Share this | Hansard source

It is extraordinary to know that our representative at COP29, the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, has turned his back on our closest allies, possibly after confusing them when the UK put out that media release, as the member for Fairfax highlighted. I will just read some quotes from the Australian, where it says that the UK and the US expected Australia to sign the agreement, as well as 'willing parties, including Canada, France, Japan, Republic of Korea, Republic of South Africa, China and Switzerland', but, through a statement from his office, Mr Bowen totally rejected the invitation. I was wondering what he was doing at that time that was so much more important than responding to our closest allies' invitation. 'Australia is not signing this agreement as we do not have a nuclear energy industry.' 'Nuclear power is outlawed in Australia. We will continue to work closely with our international partners to reach net zero.' I think we declined that invitation to work closely with our international partners. 'Our international partners understand that Australia's abundance of renewable energy resources makes nuclear power'—he goes on and on and on, but he declined the invitation. But here he argues that 'Australia is much sunnier than the UK'. What a great reason to say no to our closest allies, the United Kingdom and the United States, some of the world's leaders in civil nuclear energy. They know nuclear is a future for defence, for industry, to power homes and to lower emissions. The minister is refusing to engage with our allies, and it's quite an embarrassing approach for our nation.

Every day in parliament since the Albanese Labor government was elected, we've fought back against this silly renewables-only approach because it is harming Australians, who believed in that $275 promise—and now where are we on that? Not a peep, not a word—just a broken promise. It's a pity that the minister isn't here today to take part in the battle of ideas on our nation 's future to have lower energy prices. He is at COP, but he's not responding to invitations, so we don't really know what he's doing, because he's sending out his spokesperson to do his work for him. We need a consistent, reliable and cheap energy system. Unfortunately, as we've just said, he is missing in action.

I also want to talk about gas, because this is the form of energy that every single manufacturer across Western Sydney is desperately crying out for when I go speak to them. They were confused as well by this government and the minister on the approach to gas. The market operator has noted that more gas is needed to ensure that lights don't go out, but Labor is constantly chipping at the knees of our gas companies. Gas is needed to heat our homes, to cook our food and, as I said, to heat our heavy industry. Without gas, our sovereign capability will fade away. In the face of growing tensions in our region, we need to ensure that we can rely on energy sources that keep the lights on and power our businesses.

The Leader of the Opposition and I attended a brickworks at Austral recently, and they needed gas desperately to produce bricks that are needed to build the homes that will get us out of this housing crisis. Mascot Steel, in Emu Plains, needs gas to fabricate steel to ensure that we do have sovereign capability in this country. Pandrol, in Blacktown, needs gas to make parts for our railways, again ensuring that we have sovereign manufacturing in Australia.

Our railways are the lifeline for many state transport networks when parts are needed. These are just a few examples of where gas is needed in Western Sydney alone. This is why we're backing gas, along with nuclear energy, along with so many other countries around the world. In fact, as we've just heard, we've been invited to join them.

Households in Western Sydney are paying $1,000 more on their energy bills. As the member who spoke previously stated, people are actually paying more, and they're lining up at those foodbanks and are struggling like never before. Ideology over practicality on energy is failing Australia. In fact, this government is failing Australia every step of the way when it comes to energy affordability.

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