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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Does the current Prime Minister agree with the recently retired former Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, who said today about the National Energy Guarantee, 'It was a vital piece of economic policy that had strong support—and none stronger, I might say, than that of the current Prime Minister and the current Treasurer'?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The proposal that was considered by the government that the former Prime Minister had brought to cabinet and had been considered by that government had a 26 per cent emissions reduction target. What the Labor Party is proposing is to legislate, to make law, a 45 per cent emissions reduction target. That is what the Labor Party is proposing, and, no, on this side of the House, the Liberal and Nationals parties, we do not support a 45 per cent emissions reduction target, which is part of the Labor Party's plan.

Now, they might like to dress up their 45 per cent emissions reduction target as a national energy guarantee, but it is a 45 per cent emissions reduction target which is a thumping big electricity tax. It will force up people's electricity prices, whether you are a pensioner or you're a householder raising kids or you're a small or family business. Labor's policies will mean that Australians will pay more. They will pay more in taxes. They'll pay more for their electricity. They'll pay more for their private health insurance. They will pay more under what Labor is proposing because Labor think the only way to run a government is to make everything cost more, to put your taxes up. And do you know why they do that? It is because they don't know how to run a strong economy. They don't know how to manage a budget. That is their history every time they get into government, and the people of Australia know it. They know that the Leader of the Labor Party and all of the Labor Party members cannot manage money. They cannot manage a budget, and that's why they can't be trusted in government to run a budget—because, if you can't run a budget and you can't run an economy, you can't guarantee essential services.

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The Manager of Opposition Business has the call on a point of order.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business (House)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, a point of order on direct relevance, Mr Speaker. The Prime Minister has now spent, I think, two minutes talking about the Labor Party. The question asks him about his previous support for the National Energy Guarantee.

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

The Prime Minister was certainly straying from the question when he broadened out into the economy, but, with respect to the bulk of his answer prior to that, where he was talking about the particular policy that was the subject of the question, I believe he is in order.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. It remains the case that our government are supporting the reliability guarantee to ensure that we have reliable power contracted into the future. That's our policy. But I'll tell you what our policy has delivered. Our policy means that EnergyAustralia, AGL, Origin Energy, Red and Lumo have heeded our calls to put customers first and lower power prices on 1 January 2019.

AGL will discount bills by 10 per cent for customers on standing offers. EnergyAustralia will discount bills by 15 per cent for concession customers. Origin Energy will provide a 10 per cent discount off usage for concession card holders, and Red and Lumo will give an automatic 10 per cent discount for customers on standing offers. Our policies to reduce electricity prices are working. Labor's policy will put electricity prices up.