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

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to my last question and the subsequent answer. If the government legislation prohibits the privatisation of state electricity assets, why is the amendment from the member for Kennedy even necessary? Further, why is it that privatisation will be ruled out for the time being only because the member for Kennedy is now writing government energy policy?

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The real question is: why doesn't the Leader of the Opposition stand up for the consumers of Queensland? Why doesn't the Leader of the Opposition stand with us and the member for Kennedy and other members of the crossbench for this amendment, which will make it absolutely abundantly clear that when an asset is divested it cannot be privatised? And why doesn't the Leader of the Opposition stand up for the blue-collar workers, who he's said he represents, at the Tomago aluminium smelter and the paper manufacturers and the like? There are lots of questions, and those questions are to the Leader of the Opposition. He needs to stand up for energy consumers.