Phillip Thompson (Herbert, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Last week, the Leader of the Opposition met with a Townsville cafe owner whose electricity bill has surged by 404 per cent. Despite the Prime Minister's promise to cut power bills by $275 each year, the Albanese government has had 12 months and two budgets to fulfil this promise but has failed to do so. With small businesses struggling and Australian families having to find an extra $22,000 each year to service their mortgage, let alone pay electricity bills, when will the Prime Minister take responsibility for the growing cost-of-living crisis?

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

I thank the member for Herbert for his question. One of the things that this government is doing is taking action. We provided $1.6 billion for energy efficiency upgrades for homes and businesses, including the small business energy incentive. We had the Rewiring the Nation program, of course. We're rolling it out, bringing the energy grid into the 21st century. We introduced, as well, our plan to provide certainty to encourage investment through the safeguard mechanism. Importantly, as well, we had our Energy Price Relief Plan, which shielded Australia from the worst of global price spikes that have occurred with price caps that nearly halved wholesale forward prices for electricity. We provided up to $3 billion in targeted rebates for households and businesses, up to $500 in bill relief for eligible households and up to $650 in bill relief for small businesses.

I can imagine people in Queensland today are giving a big shout-out to the Palaszczuk government and the announcements that they've made overnight, which will, for some pensioners, reduce energy bills to zero. That's as a result of what they have done in partnership with this government.

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

Order! The member for Groom!

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

So I'm sure that when the member for Herbert returns to Townsville on the weekend he'll be able to say: 'I'm sorry, constituents, that I voted against the Energy Price Relief Plan that's making a difference, but I do recognise what a fantastic job the Palaszczuk government is doing.' They've used some of the revenues as well—again, things opposed by those opposite. As a result of the windfall gains that are there because of global energy prices, Queensland have produced the largest budget surplus of any state government anywhere since Federation. But of course they don't recognise something called a surplus over there, just like they didn't recognise the projected surplus from our Treasurer, who can't even get a question about the budget that he brought down a month ago.

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

Before I call the member for Reid, there was far too much interjecting going on during the first question. I just want to remind members that questions have to be heard in silence, and answers will be heard in silence as well.