Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Will the minister update the House on the importance of a pragmatic and credible approach to energy security internationally and in my home state of Western Australia? Are there any alternative approaches leading to an increase in cost-of-living pressures for hardworking Australians?

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Swan for his question and note his interest and concern about energy security. Nations around the world that want to grow their economies need access to reliable, affordable and secure forms of energy and, if they want to be internationally competitive, it is absolutely vital to grow their manufacturing and industrial base.

Western Australia is the engine room that drives export income for Australia. It is essential for our economy and for jobs in Australia that Western Australia continues to be internationally competitive when it comes to exports, and that means Western Australia needs reliable, accessible, secure sources of energy—

An incident having occurred in the gallery—

Do I stop?

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, Minister. Please continue.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Western Australia is having to be energy self-sufficient, because it is not part of the national electricity market. This means that, at times of high consumption or during hot weather, we need reliable baseload power and cannot rely on other states to source our energy. It is absolutely essential that Western Australia has affordable, reliable baseload power. Fortunately, we have an abundance of natural gas which provides about half of our energy needs and 70 per cent of electricity production in Western Australia.

Last week it was revealed that the Western Australian Labor Party intended to introduce a 50 per cent renewable energy target in Western Australia. Even Labor's energy spokesman was caught on tape committing Western Australian Labor to a 50 per cent renewable energy target in the middle of South Australia's power blackouts, where that state has a 50 per cent renewable energy target.

In the House last week I said, 'The next thing you know, Mark McGowan will crab walk away and do a Julia Gillard and say, "There will be no 50 per cent renewable energy target under a government I lead".' I was kidding—I did not think in my wildest dreams that that is what he would do, but—deja vu—there he stood, Julia Gillard-like, and said, 'There will be no 50 per cent renewable energy target under a government I lead.'

Western Australians can be assured that that is exactly what Labor will do. The great Labor lie is saying one thing before the election and doing precisely the opposite after the election. Should Western Australian Labor be elected at the state election, Western Australians will be subjected to the same chaos that we have seen in South Australia. We need reliable energy for our state. (Time expired)