Ann Sudmalis (Gilmore, 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 the action the government is taking to put downward pressure on energy prices, as this is of great concern to local residents in Gilmore? Is the minister aware of differences in policy proposals that would ultimately hit the family budget for all Australians?

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

I thank the member for Gilmore for her question over her deep concern about large employers in her electorate, like Nowra Chemical Manufacturers and like Manildra, who are dealing with higher electricity prices. The Turnbull government has been taking action on all fronts to put downward pressure on prices. We have been reining in the power of the poles-and-wires companies, and, if the Labor Party had done it, consumers would be $6½ billion better off.

When it comes to the retailers, we've got significant commitments from them to provide more information, better information, comparable information to consumers. And we're putting in place a mechanism to restrict gas exports to ensure we have more gas for domestic supply. And we know that the more gas we produce puts upward pressure on gas prices. And you know who was in government when the decisions were taken to make these big exports of gas? It was the Labor Party when the Leader of the Opposition was a senior minister.

The member for Port Adelaide was asked about what they knew and when, and he said he didn't know anything. He told Insiders he didn't know anything. But you only have to go to the 2012 white paper, when Labor was in office, which said about increasing gas exports that it will lead to 'tighter supply and higher prices'. So you can imagine the great interest I had in the interview with David Speers last Thursday that the member for Port Adelaide now would rather forget. Normally, you would get those interviews sent out to you in emails by the member's office. But it didn't come on Thursday. It didn't come on Friday. It didn't come on Saturday. It didn't come on Sunday. It hasn't even come today. Do you know why? It is because there was a question in there from David Speers, who said to the member for Port Adelaide, 'Your own white paper said there would be an impact on prices, but you said you weren't warned.' This is what the member for Port Adelaide said:

Everyone knew there would be an impact on prices.

Here is the Labor Party and the Leader of the Opposition who said they stand up for blue-collar workers, but through their actions gas prices have increased, electricity prices have increased and the jobs of people in manufacturing, in plastics, in papers and in pubs are all put in jeopardy because the Labor Party, in order to win Greens votes, have given away the blue-collar workers that they should be standing up for. (Time expired)

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

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.