Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. As the Prime Minister knows, wholesale electricity prices have doubled under the Liberal government. The Australian Energy Council has said:

… the lack of national policy certainty is now the … biggest driver of higher electricity prices.

Does the Prime Minister agree, and will the government commit to working with Labor to end four years of policy paralysis under this government which have led to higher prices and instability in the energy market?

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

The member for Gilmore is warned!

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The recent increase in wholesale electricity prices is the consequence of years of Labor policy, at the state level, where you have seen—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, honourable members can wave their fingers around as much as they like, but they should be waving them in the direction of Spring Street in Melbourne. The reality is that the gas prices in Australia have been entirely created by Labor governments. There is no question about that. The failure to have regard to the needs of the domestic market was a failure of the last federal Labor government and a Labor government in Queensland.

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The member for Perth will leave, under standing order 94(a).

The member for Perth then left the chamber.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The failure to allow any exploration or development of Victoria's extensive onshore gas reserves is a political decision of the Victorian Labor government. We have a shortage of gas in Australia that was created by political decisions by Labor governments, and we are taking the hard decisions to resolve it. It is a tough measure.

Opposition members interjecting—

One of the honourable members opposite laughs. Well, I wonder how he would laugh at the workers at Incitec Pivot in Brisbane, whose jobs are under threat because of the increase in gas prices created by Labor's recklessness and mindless approach to policy—allowing too much gas to be exported without having regard to the needs of the domestic market, and at the same time campaigning against the exploration and development of gas in Victoria.

Ms Butler interjecting—

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

The member for Griffith will leave under 94(a).

The member for Griffith then left the chamber.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Labor Party's track record on energy is one of ideology and politics. That is all they have. We are now cleaning up their mess. We are providing the storage that they overlooked talking about. We are delivering the gas security that they negligently put at risk. We are making the tough decisions to ensure that Australians will have affordable, reliable energy that will meet our international commitments.