Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment and Energy. Will the minister update the House on what the government is doing to help businesses and families by making energy affordable and reliable? How does this compare with other approaches?

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Hughes for his question and acknowledge his deep concern about the rising electricity prices right across the country, including for businesses such as Patties Foods in the Latrobe Valley. They are a 50-year-old business employing more than 500 people. They make those iconic Four'N Twenty pies. We know what the Leader of the Opposition thinks about hot pies!

Their energy bill has gone up by 100 per cent recently. That is why, on this side of the House, we are absolutely determined to get more gas into the market. The Prime Minister's work with the LNG suppliers played a role in Engie being able to bring on Pelican Point with their announcement yesterday. We are also looking to rein in network costs and retail costs and invest record amounts in battery storage in order to stabilise the system.

But I am asked whether I am aware of any alternative approaches. Well, I am aware of those opposite having a 50 per cent renewable energy target. They do not know what it is called, they do not know how much it costs and they do not know if this legislated, but they have that target. They also have a plan to force the closure of coal-fired power stations. Not content to see the loss of 700 jobs at Hazelwood just yesterday, last Wednesday Labor senators joined with Greens senators to pass a motion. Do you know what the motion said?

Coal has no long-term future in Australia.

Shame on the Labor Party. You would think that with 75 per cent of our power in the National Electricity Market coming from coal it would have a future. You would think, then, that the Leader of the Opposition would be consistent. But what does he say? In a press conference on 26 October last year he said:

Coal has a future in Australia.

What is worse, what did he say when he went to the Latrobe Valley on 14 November last year and fronted up to the workers? He said:

Coal is going to be part of our energy mix going forward…

That is what you say to the workers, but here you allow your senators to vote for a motion saying that coal has no future—hypocrisy by name, hypocrisy by nature.

As you said, Leader of the Opposition, if you do not know where you are going, all roads will get you there. Well, I will tell you where your policy will get you: your policy will get you higher energy prices, fewer jobs, less investment and a much less secure electricity system. Only the coalition can be trusted to get energy policy in this country right, to get the prices down and to get a stable energy system.