Dai Le (Fowler, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. A local business in Fowler has seen its energy bill go from $4,000 to $11,000 per quarter. Affordable energy prices are critical to fight cost-of-living pressures and for the survival and competitiveness of many businesses. What is your government doing to fundamentally change the systems by which electricity is currently charged across Australia to create certainty and access to lower cost mechanisms for consumers and businesses?

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

We thank the member for Fowler for the question. Together with the member for Blaxland and the member for Werriwa, the member for Fowler and I represent a wonderful part of the world in south-western Sydney. In south-western Sydney, people know that people right around Australia are doing it tough, that small businesses are doing it tough and that they have a government which is providing relief today because today is when it is necessary.

The honourable member asked about small business and, to be fair, about consumers and residences. This government is providing relief to both of those groups. In relation to small business, we're providing direct relief. We have also provided tax support to assist small businesses in making the transition to more efficient energy uses—

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Wow!

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

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition scoffs and says, 'Wow.' Well, it is good to provide support to small businesses for the energy transition. We on this side of the House think that. The opposition doesn't agree. The opposition does not agree with providing that support to small business. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition scoffs at that and dismisses it.

We're delivering $62 million in small business grants to improve energy efficiency to small businesses. In relation to residences, state and territory ministers agreed with me a couple of weeks ago to adopt a consumer energy roadmap, which I think the honourable member was referring to, which puts residences and consumers in charge of their own energy use. It gives them more opportunities to control the renewable energy in their house and in their driveway to make sure that they are getting the benefits as well as the immediate relief that has been provided in the budget of $300 for every person who receives an energy bill across our country and for small businesses. That is support in the medium term to let businesses and consumers make the choices which put them in charge to reduce their bills and emissions at the same time.

That is the real, concrete plan the Albanese government has put into place now that is providing relief now. It's not a fantasy plan in decades time to introduce the most expensive form of energy known around the world, a plan which might work in decades to actually introduce new energy, but that will be expensive energy. These are real plans today providing relief to Australians who need that support today.