Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, prior to the last election Labor promised a $275 cut to power bills on nearly 100 occasions. Since the election you've never mentioned it. Last week the government promised a return to industrywide bargaining, which will mean more strikes and will drive up the cost of living for families in our country. Why are Australian families paying the price for the Prime Minister's new priorities?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his questions, spraying across a range of issues because they can't decide which tactic to land on. Perhaps one of those was from the Liberal Party and one was from the National Party—a bit like last week, when they couldn't agree whether they should attend the Jobs and Skills Summit. It's a bit like that; some were in, some were out.

But there is a common theme, which is that those opposite seek to forget the fact they've just been in government for almost a decade. They think 21 May was ground zero. They think 21 May was when Federation was formed. But, in fact, in March, those opposite sat on an increase in wholesale electricity prices. They sat on it, and, consistent with their attitude and their approach towards transparency in government, they didn't tell anyone. It's not surprising they didn't tell anyone, because we know now they didn't have one energy minister, did they? They didn't have one. Perhaps one of the energy ministers knew exactly what was occurring! But, nonetheless, the people who didn't know were the Australian people. Then they have the hide to come in here and ask an incoherent babble of a question—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Leader of the Opposition, on a point of order?

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On relevance. The Australian public clearly heard you say and promise to them a $275 decrease in their electricity bills, and you have never mentioned it from that day to this.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I call the Prime Minister.

Order! The Leader of the Opposition has made his point of order, which I heard in silence.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask him to withdraw that last comment.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister has asked the Leader of the Opposition to withdraw a comment. I didn't hear the comment but I'll ask him to withdraw.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The comment was that he lied to people. I'm happy to withdraw.

Opposition members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Members on my left! The Leader of the House.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No-one is above the principle, which is all the way through Practice, that when you're asked to withdraw you do so unconditionally—

Opposition members interjec ting—

No—always, actually. I was asked to withdraw very rarely. He gets asked to withdraw a lot! You don't repeat what was said; you simply withdraw. It should be the same rule for everybody, as I know, Mr Speaker, you've always enforced it. The House should be better than that sort of behaviour.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To assist the running of the House, I ask the Leader of the Opposition to withdraw.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you. I call the Prime Minister.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What we did—it was in December last year—was put out a coherent policy, after a decade of inaction, after 22 policy announcements—and none of them delivered. What we know is that there was a 23rd policy. The 23rd policy was put up in March, of an increase that they are responsible for, which came into effect because it was deliberately delayed by the then government until after the election. We stand by our modelling that we put out. We stand by the fact that renewables are the cheapest form of new energy. It's not really rocket science. You don't really need an economics degree or a science degree to know that if the market changes from a more expensive level of energy to a cheaper level of energy you get cheaper energy prices. I know that might be beyond those opposite, but that's exactly what the Australian people know. That's why they've got solar panels on their roofs. (Time expired)