Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. The Assistant Minister to the Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction claimed this week, in relation to the climate policies of the government and the opposition:

We're more close than we've ever been before and all broadly swimming in the same direction.

If that's right, why won't the government match Labor's Powering Australia plan to create more than 600,000 jobs, cut power bills and reduce emissions by 43 per cent by 2030?

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

Because Labor policies put up electricity prices. Because Labor policies on emission reduction close down manufacturing, close down the resources industry, take away people's livelihoods. They adopt targets that they can't achieve by simply pursuing technology targets, and they have to pursue it by putting up the cost of electricity on households and businesses and drive people out of jobs. That's why we don't adopt the Labor Party's policies. Under our policies, electricity prices have fallen by eight per cent over the last two years. The policies of the Labor Party that they would like us to adopt—last time they had those in place, electricity prices more than doubled by over 100 per cent.

So, no, the Libs and the Nats are not going to be adopting the Labor Party's policies on emissions reduction, because the Labor Party's policy on emission reduction is the same as the policies of the Greens. How do I know that? We know it from the Leader of the Greens himself. The Leader of the Greens knows that if the Leader of the Labor Party were to become Prime Minister of this country, he would be answering to the Leader of the Greens when it comes to climate policy. So, if you're living up there in the Hunter, if you're living in La Trobe, if you're up there in the Northern Territory or in the resources industry in Western Australia, if the Labor Party seeks to form a government after this election, they'll be doing it with the Greens, and they'll be putting up your electricity prices, and they'll be selling out the blue-collar jobs of this country.

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just before I call the member for Wide Bay, once again I'm going to have to make a general warning. I'm looking at some of the members that are principally responsible. But I'm issuing a general warning. Don't be surprised if you get ejected under 94(a), if you keep going.