Zoe McKenzie (Flinders, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. The government's deal with the Greens for a hard emissions cap will force up power prices and further risk domestic gas supply. This comes after the Australian Energy Market Operator's warning of gas shortages in Victoria. Can the Prime Minister guarantee there will be no disruption to gas supply to Victorians this winter?

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

Only a party addicted to secrecy, cover-ups and denial would say that it's a bad thing that this parliament is prepared to work with colleagues across the parliament in order to achieve reform and change. We make no apologies for engaging across this parliament. It's just a pity that those opposite are now the observers rather than the participants in this parliament. They chose to be nowhere near any of this. It's no wonder that the member for Bass had this to say:

I'm utterly exasperated by the lack of engagement from my own side to come to the table and engage in a constructive conversation …

The fact is that we—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition and the member for Fairfax will cease interjecting.

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

I'm asked about arrangements in this parliament in order to achieve the legislation that is through. What we had from those opposite was ongoing scare campaigns. Remember when we met in December the member for Hume said, 'Labor's diabolical plan will undermine new investment in Australia.' The Leader of the Nats: 'It will tear away at investment confidence.' The Leader of the Opposition: 'It will disrupt investment into our country.' Well, have a look at what's happened today on investment.

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

The Prime Minister will pause. I'll hear from the Manager of Opposition Business.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On relevance, a straight question: can the Prime Minister guarantee there will be no disruption to gas supply to Victorians this winter?

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

That was part of the question.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Please give us a straight answer, Prime Minister.

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

Resume your seat. The point of relevance is not just to pick out the point of the question that you want answered; it is the entirety. If you want to read the whole question out, that's not okay. You just need to state the point of relevance. The Prime Minister is being relevant and may continue.

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

Today we have, in the Financial Review:

Canadian giant Brookfield has pledged to invest billions of dollars to accelerate the decarbonisation of Origin Energy after sealing a long-awaited $18.7 billion deal to buy out the Australian electricity and gas supplier together with US partner EIG.

It went on to say this:

… the binding agreement puts to bed any lingering doubts in the market that what was the second-biggest takeover proposal announced in 2022 in Australia would be derailed by the federal government's intervention into energy markets to rein in runaway prices.

No wonder they're against solar power, because they keep predicting the sky will fall in. That's why they're against solar power—because they keep predicting that the sky will fall in. The sky won't fall in. We have the best solar resources in the world, and we're going to use them.

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

The member for Riverina, if he continues with that interjection, will be warned.