Julia Banks (Chisholm, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister outline to the House how the government is reducing power bills for hardworking Australians, including in my electorate of Chisholm? Is the Prime Minister aware of any risks to the government's approach?

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

I thank the honourable member for her question. The largest risk to energy affordability and reliability in Australia is the honourable members sitting opposite. They have demonstrated again and again that they are a threat to affordable energy through their reckless and incompetent prosecution of an ideological agenda in energy. We have seen that they have failed to prioritise affordability and reliability in their ideological pursuit of renewable energy without any regard to the fact that the sun doesn't shine all the time and the wind doesn't blow all the time. If we need any confirmation of that, we only have to look at the home state of the opposition spokesman on energy, the member for Port Adelaide. South Australians know very well what a Labor energy policy looks like, and Australians would see that right around the nation if the Leader of the Opposition were to become Prime Minister.

Australia cannot afford a Labor government which would increase taxes—

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The member for Lyons will leave under 94(a). The Prime Minister has the call.

The member for Lyons then left the chamber.

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

We know that, were Labor to implement its policy of a 45 per cent cut in emissions by 2030, nearly double what we had committed to in Paris, a 50 per cent renewable energy target would add nearly $200 a year to household energy bills—as against a $110 to $115 saving from the implementation of the National Energy Guarantee. So that is the difference—$300 a year is the tax Australians would have to pay for the Labor Party's energy incompetence. Compare that to what we're doing. The National Energy Guarantee is recommended by the brightest minds in the business—those with the most experience and the most authority. You'd think Labor would embrace it. No, they have described it as science fiction and nonsense.

What about gas prices? They went through the roof because of Labor's failure to recognise that, if you allow exports from the east coast without doing anything to protect the domestic market, you'll get tight supply and higher prices. They were warned. They ignored the warnings. Prices went through the roof, and so did electricity prices. Sixty five thousand jobs are at risk. We moved, and we have now secured the gas supplies that the east coast market needs—no thanks to the Labor Party, cleaning up their mess. We've delivered reform on limited merits reviews. No more can the owners of the poles and wires game the system and jack up prices. (Time expired)