Ted O'Brien (Fairfax, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

() (): My question goes to the Treasurer. It follows his response to the former question, where he explained his proclivity for mishearing questions. My question is: have the Treasurer and the Prime Minister also misheard questions to which they responded with a promise of a reduction of household power bills by $275, where they made that commitment no less than 97 times? (Time expired)

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

You may resume your seat, Member for Fairfax. You have asked your question.

Honourable members interjecting—

Order! The House will come to order.

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I know that we're supposed to take these characters seriously, but some days, when they ask us about energy prices, it's just too difficult. I do confess, when you have ears as big as mine and you say that you misheard something, I know that people might doubt that, but it's the truth. I rang Charles immediately after and I explained to him what happened.

Now that I have fessed up to mishearing a question at the National Press Club, it's time for you to fess up to your role in energy policy chaos.

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

The Treasurer will just pause. I'm going to hear the Leader of the Opposition. We're barely into the question, but I'll hear his point of order.

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

Mr Speaker, it's on relevance. Pensioners and families heard this government say on 97 occasions—

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

You may resume your seat.

The Leader of the Opposition cannot be heard. The Leader of the House has the call.

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

Two points—first of all, in the way that question was asked, almost anything could be in order. Second, Mr Speaker, I refer to your earlier rulings where points of order have been taken by the Leader of the Opposition where it was clearly intended to participate in debate rather than to take a point of order. I just refer to that earlier ruling.

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

I thank the Leader of the House, and I want to make it clear that points of order on relevance must be stated. It is not an opportunity to ask the question again, to ask for additional information or to give statements. The manager, the deputy and the leader have extra responsibilities in that area. If it continues, the points of order will not be heard. I want to be very clear to the House. I give the call to the Treasurer.

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are three facts about what's going on in energy markets. First of all, renewable energy is cheaper energy. That remains the case. Second, there's a war in Europe which is causing havoc in energy markets and pushing up electricity prices. And, third, the energy policy chaos brought to us by the dregs of the former government over there has made things harder rather than easier for us to deal with it.