Sally Sitou (Reid, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. How has the Albanese Labor government prioritised acting on energy prices? What would alternative energy policies mean for household bills and the budget?

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Order! We're just going to take the temperature down on this one.

Honourable members interjecting—

Order! There's far too much noise. The minister has the call.

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 her question. The Albanese government has prioritised urgent action on relief for households when it comes to energy prices with three rounds of household energy bill relief—two of which were opposed by those opposite and the third of which was announced by the Prime Minister and the government on the weekend for an extra $150 worth of support for Australian families, because that's what Australian families need and deserve. In a period where energy prices are elevated around the world, the Albanese government has got the backs of the Australian people to help them through that period.

Of course, the other thing we're doing is continuing with what the experts say is the best plan for the cheapest energy prices going forward. Whether it's the Australian Energy Market Operator or the Australian Energy Market Commission or the Australian Energy Regulator, all three of our expert bodies have said at various points over the last 12 months that the best thing we can do is keep on going with the rollout of renewable energy. The Energy Regulator herself pointed out that, in the last quarter of last year, there were 23 high-price incidents as a result of coal-fired power outages. We've got to replace that coal-fired power with new, cheap, reliable energy, and that is what we are doing.

The member for Reid asked me if there are any alternatives, and I can tell her and the House there are. There's one big and expensive alternative, and just because the Leader of the Opposition doesn't talk about it anymore doesn't mean it has gone away. You've announced it. It's there. It's on your books. You can't run from it now. The Leader of the Opposition will have to own this policy all the way to the next election. This policy will put upward pressure on prices in a couple of ways. Firstly, it'll keep that coal in the grid for longer. The Leader of the National Party has talked about it himself. He's been honest about it and said: 'We need to sweat these assets longer. We need this coal-fired power for longer.' That means more unreliable power, and it means more expensive power. The other way it will impact is the fact that this is a $600 billion cost to the taxpayers. The shadow Treasurer was on Insiders on Sunday. He was asked about this. He couldn't remember the cost, and then he said it was $600 billion, and then he just kept saying it's 44 per cent cheaper. Now, what he didn't reveal is that that's based on producing 40 per cent less electricity.

The Leader of the Opposition will be up on Thursday. Perhaps he's going to announce their health policy, with 40 per cent fewer patients by 2050 to make it cheaper; or their education policy, with 40 per cent fewer students to make it cheaper; or their defence policy, in which they will cut Defence by 40 per cent—because that's what they do. They just say: 'We'll just make less. It'll cost less.' All this spending will have to be paid for by cuts. We agree with the Leader of the Opposition—look at past performance. He's cut health before. That means that, when it comes to the Leader of the Opposition, he will cut and the Australian people will pay.