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

My question is to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has failed to put downward pressure on power prices by implementing the clean energy target recommended by the Finkel report. He's wasting $122—

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

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

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. Members on my right are preventing me from hearing the question. I will ask the Leader of the Opposition to begin his question again, and, at this early stage, I warn members about the consequences of interjecting. The Leader of the Opposition will begin his question.

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

My question is to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has failed to put downward pressure on power prices by implementing the clean energy target as recommended by the Finkel report. He's wasting $122 million on a survey because he's too weak to have a free vote in the House. When will this policy paralysis on the energy crisis and marriage equality end? Why can't the Prime Minister lead his government instead of being humiliated by the right wing of his party?

Government members interjecting—

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

Members on my right!

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

Only somebody as confused as the Leader of the Opposition would combine a question about same-sex marriage and energy prices into the one question. I can assure honourable speakers that the two issues are entirely unrelated. As far as energy prices are concerned, the fact of the matter is that a recklessness on the part of Labor governments in the past has led us into the position we are in today. There is no point kidding ourselves about this.

The largest single factor on energy prices—electricity prices—right now is the price of gas. Why is gas so expensive? It is so expensive because a federal Labor government and a Queensland state Labor government allowed a big export facility to be built on Curtis Island without any regard for the consequences for the Australian domestic gas market. We do not criticise exporting gas. We are about to become the biggest exporter of LNG in the world and that is a great achievement. But a government which is mindful of its responsibilities to the people it represents would at least have done some planning and given some thought to the domestic market. The Labor Party did not, and that is why we have had to take the strong measures we have taken. As I said yesterday, the spot price for gas on the east coast has already come down several dollars a gigajoule, but it is a massive problem. We are short of gas on the east coast, a shortage created by the failure of Labor policy.

Ms Owens interjecting—

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

The member for Parramatta is warned.

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

And it is exactly the same approach the Labor Party took in South Australia where, as we know, they allowed a huge rollout of renewable energy to be undertaken without paying any regard to the fact that the wind does not blow all the time—you would think that would be obvious. They paid no regard to that. They had no storage, no planning, they allowed baseload generation to close down, and the consequence has been what we have seen in South Australia—that state has the most expensive, the least reliable electricity in Australia.

By contrast, we on this side are taking action to bring prices down so that people get a better deal. Yesterday we ensured the commitment of the big retailers to make sure that their customers would know what is the right plan for them. Too many families are paying more than they need to for electricity. We have acted on gas, we have acted on retail prices, we are acting on networks and we are acting on long-term planning with Snowy Hydro 2.0, a massive contrast. (Time expired)

Mr Stephen Jones interjecting—

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

The member for Whitlam will cease interjecting. I remind the member for Parramatta she has been warned. She can choose whether she stays or goes. The member for La Trobe has the call.