Angus Taylor (Hume, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. Will the Acting Prime Minister confirm telling the Australian people, weeks before the last election, on 6 May 2022: 'Labor has a plan when it comes to the cost of living. We're going to ease the pressure on power bills'? Can the Acting Prime Minister name a single suburb in Australia where power prices have been reduced?

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When those opposite were given an opportunity to vote on power prices, they voted against it. When of those opposite were given the opportunity to support the household budgets of this country by supporting the $1.5 billion plan to reduce energy prices in this country, they voted against it. When the shadow Treasurer had an opportunity to be upfront with the Australian people about the increase in power prices under his government, he hid it. That's what they did when it came to power prices.

We have made really clear that we are focused on cost of living and particularly on reducing the pressure on power prices. The measure that we put in place in this parliament when we brought the parliament back in December is working. When you look at the forward electricity prices as they were presented in February of this year, they are half of what they were in November. It made a difference, and those opposite voted against it.