Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. How will the Albanese Labor government's plan to get more renewables into the energy grid set Australia up for the opportunities of the future, and what will it mean for skills and jobs?

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank my honourable friend for his question and thank him for his work in his community. He fights for his community at home and here in Canberra as well.

The Albanese government believes in a future made in Australia. That means well-paid jobs, highly skilled jobs, right up and down the supply chain. The most important thing to achieving that is getting the transition to renewable energy right. Take hydrogen as one example. Green hydrogen in Australia could produce up to 16,000 jobs, with another 13,000 in construction. Those jobs, almost exclusively, will be created in Australia's great industrial regions like Whyalla, where the Prime Minister was just a weeks ago announcing a hydrogen hub—

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

Order! The Leader of the Nationals will cease interjecting.

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

like the regions I'll be in next week, where I'll be announcing the next round of hydrogen hub funding on behalf of the Albanese government. Green hydrogen we will create not just the opportunity to export renewable energy but drive Australian industry—thousands and thousands of jobs. This, as well as being a great opportunity, will be a challenge: to train for those jobs. We're going to need, for example, 32,000 new electricians over the next seven years. Thirty-two thousand sparkies will need to be trained. That's why I was so delighted that the minister for skills delivered the skills compact this week and increased funding for key priority areas, including jobs related to renewable energy and electrification.

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

Order! The member for Gippsland is warned.

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's a really important step forward for the training system of Australia to make sure we're training for the jobs of the future, and I join with others in congratulating the minister for skills in doing so.

Another key element to Australia's manufacturing future is the importance of cheap and reliable energy supply. I welcome the new figures—encouraging figures—from the Australian Energy Regulator today which show that wholesale prices are now half, less than half, what they were this time last year. There's a lot of work still to do, and there's a long way to go, but they're encouraging figures. You would think you'd welcome wholesale energy prices being less than half what they were this time last year.

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

Order! The member for Barker is warned.

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Do you know why they're less than half what they were this time last year? Two reasons: solar energy production is way up—31 per cent—and this government capped coal and gas prices. They're the two reasons that wholesale prices are less than half. They were supported by this side of the House and opposed by those opposite. The Leader of the Opposition says he'll roll them back. He doesn't support the caps on energy prices. He doesn't support renewable energy. He just doesn't get it. What he doesn't understand is that the key to a future made in Australia and good well-paid jobs is getting the renewable energy transition right, and that's exactly what this government will continue to do.