Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. What is the Albanese Labor government's approach to lowering energy bills? What policies have been rejected? Why is it important to be upfront with the Australian people?

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

Our approach is to provide real practical relief now through our coal and gas caps and through our energy rebates provided both in the last budget and in this budget—and, in this budget, $300 for every single energy bill payer in the country.

Tony Pasin (Barker, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Don't like it, don't pay for it.

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

The member for Barker will leave the chamber under 94(a).

The member for Barker then left the chamber.

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

We're also, for the medium term, continuing the rollout of renewable energy, as the minister for the environment has just outlined. I'm pleased to tell the member for Newcastle and the House that renewable energy in our energy grid is up 25 per cent since the day we came to office, because that is the cheapest form of energy.

What we've rejected is a form of energy which is slow and expensive to build and is a risk when it comes to the reliability of our energy system, and that, of course, is nuclear. It's been 674 days since the Leader of the Opposition said that he would take the Liberal and National parties down the road of risky reactors—674 days, and what a magical mystery tour it's been of half-truths, myths and contradictions.

We were told it was all about small modular reactors. The Leader of the Opposition said that it was all about small modular reactors. In January 2023, the Leader of the Opposition said, 'If you google "small modular reactors", then have a look at what a company like NuScale is doing.' Very good advice! I always take the Leader of the Opposition seriously; someone's got to. So I did google NuScale. The first item says 'Flagship US nuclear reactor project collapses owing taxpayers $930m'. The second one says 'Small modular nuclear reactor that was hailed by coalition as future cancelled due to rising costs'. The third one says 'Cancelled NuScale contract weighs heavy on new nuclear'. It was all about small modular reactors, and then the Leader of the Opposition doubled down and told journalists—he told Sky, I believe it was, in March 2023: 'I don't support the establishment of big nuclear facilities here at all. I am opposed to it.' Pretty clear. Next minute, the Australian newspaper is reporting, 'The plan will now involve large-scale nuclear reactors', despite him earlier ruling out large-scale reactors—all over the shop!

The Leader of the Opposition has had 674 days. He was asked the other day why he hasn't yet announced his policy, and he said:

Well, I've answered that in relation to—we'll make that announcement in due course. We don't dance to Chris Bowen or The Saturday's tune or anything like that.

I'm not sure who 'The Saturday' is or what their tune is. I thought it was a transcript from the member for New England; that was the level of eloquence! But I checked, and it was the Leader of the Opposition. He said he wasn't going to dance to The Saturday's tune.

He announced 12 weeks ago he would release his policy in a couple of weeks time. It's time for the Leader of the Opposition to show the Australian people his plans. (Time expired)