Mark Butler (Port Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I might try again with a question to the Prime Minister. Under the Prime Minister's latest energy policy, what has the government assumed will be the level of coal-fired power generation in 2030 as a share of the national market?

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

The good news is that under the coalition there will be more coal and gas in the energy mix than under the Labor Party. That is good news for the member for Shortland. That's good news for the member for Hunter. What was his name, Mr Speaker? What was the member for Hunter's name? It's also good news for the member for Newcastle. It's also good news for the member for Herbert. The good news is that we will have more coal and gas under the coalition than we will get under the Labor Party. Under the National Energy Guarantee coal and gas will be 64 to 72 per cent by 2030. Under the Labor Party, what will that be—that is, thermal generation, synchronous generation? It will be only 39 per cent. That's no good for the jobs in the member for Shortland's electorate. But it doesn't matter about jobs anymore; he's forgotten them. It doesn't matter about jobs in the member for Hunter's electorate anymore, because he's forgotten them.

Mr Fitzgibbon interjecting—

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

The member for Hunter will cease interjecting loudly into my left ear. The member for Port Adelaide on a point of order.

Mr Chester interjecting—

Mark Butler (Port Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My point of order is on direct relevance. I asked specifically about coal-fired power—

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

The Minister for Infrastructure and Transport will cease interjecting. The purpose in my calling the member for Port Adelaide is to actually hear his point of order. If I could hear the point of order, that would be helpful.

Mark Butler (Port Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My point of order is on direct relevance. It was a very short question seeking a share of coal-fired power, not coal- and gas-fired power.

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

The Minister for the Environment and Energy has the call.

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

Good try, Member for Port Adelaide. Do you know why he doesn't care about coal anymore, Mr Speaker? It's because it has all closed in South Australia! Under this plan, there would have been a much better chance that the Northern power station would still be in operation or, indeed, that something equivalent would be in its place.

Do you know what the great irony is? In the member for Port Adelaide's state, South Australia, as a result of the closure of the Northern power station, they have now been taking more coal-fired power from Victoria.

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

Would the Minister for the Environment and Energy resume his seat for a second. I have listened to the question very closely, and to the minister's answer. He's got about a minute to go. He's certainly addressed the substance of the question in his remarks so far but he's now moving beyond that into a more general discussion. In the last minute he needs to confine himself to the subject matter of the question.

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

Port Adelaide gives you a lot to talk about, Mr Speaker! The good news is that under the coalition's plan, based on the analysis from the Energy Security Board, 64 to 72 per cent of the generation mix in the NEM will be coming from coal and gas. As a result of this decision, a coal-fired generator is much more likely to be upgraded to have its life extended.

The member for Corio has gone quiet because he knows that in the Latrobe Valley this is good news. This is good news for the people of the Latrobe Valley. The member for Shortland is busy reading Mills & Boon over there because he's no longer interested in jobs. The member for Hunter is starting to think about his numbers in the caucus—

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

Manager of Opposition Business, are you asking a question?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, the minister was quoting from a document. As he turned it, I saw it's clearly not marked confidential. I'd ask that he table it.

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

Is the document confidential? The minister says the document is confidential.