Angie Bell (Moncrieff, Liberal National Party, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister explain to the House why EnergyAustralia is telling its consumers this week that the increase in electricity bills is due in part to 'some increases in government green schemes and market changes'? Prime Minister, isn't EnergyAustralia right and is this why your government constantly refuses to ever mention your election promise to cut electricity bills by $275? Why do Australians always pay more under Labor?

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

I thank the member for her question. The Reserve Bank of Australia have said this in their Statement on monetary policy of this month:

Wholesale electricity and gas prices declined in response to the announcement of the temporary price caps on domestic gas and thermal coal in the Energy Price Relief Plan—

Honourable members interjecting

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

Order! There is far too much noise in the chamber. The Prime Minister will be heard in silence. If there are further interjections, people will leave the chamber immediately. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

It says:

Futures markets now suggest that wholesale electricity and gas prices will be lower in 2023—

That's now—

and 2024 than previously expected …

Over this year and next—

Opposition members interjecting—

It's not just them. Clare Savage told Senate estimates yesterday: 'In December the National Cabinet announced an agreement for significant interventions in the wholesale gas, coal and electricity markets. We've seen futures markets fall materially since that time, and we think that will mitigate.'

An opposition member interjecting

That's what they had to say. The New South Wales Premier—maybe you can interject on him too!—said: 'I'm a free market guy and also a practical guy. The fact you say I'm a free market guy and I'm supporting it must say something. It's states and territories working with the Commonwealth government. Everyone at National Cabinet is on a unity ticket.' Matt Kean, the New South Wales Treasurer, said this: 'We're not on the side of energy bosses. We're on the side of consumers and businesses.' That's what Matt Kean had to say in drawing a distinction between the two sides of this chamber.

I say to the member who asked the question: you would have more credibility if you had voted for energy price relief and hadn't opposed the $1½ billion we will provide.