Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I too rise to speak on Senator Collins's motion. It's always quite enjoyable sitting down and listening to Senator Cameron's speeches, which are full of overblown and overegged rhetoric and bear very little relationship to the truth. It is my pleasure to speak on this motion today, particularly as a senator from Western Australia, a state abundant in so many resources which could stand to power our nation cheaply and reliably for many generations to come.

Senator Cameron seems to have forgotten that this government is dealing with the mess that those opposite left us. Listening to him speak on Senator Collins's motion, you would think that, in developing this policy to deal with unreliable, expensive power for Australian families and businesses, we just dreamt it all up, rather than it being a policy to deal with a problem they left us with. As to Senator Cameron's rhetoric about troglodytes and this government being in crisis and all of the other rhetorical flourishes that he's very well known for, he says he was quoting anonymous sources. Well, I am not an anonymous source. I was in the party room for the debate. I was proud to stand up and support the National Energy Guarantee as proposed by this government. I can assure Senator Cameron and all of those opposite that the debate was robust but it was also a very clear result. It was supported in both party rooms for very sound reasons. Those reasons are all about Australian families and Australian industries that employ millions of Australians.

What always amuses me somewhat, and sometimes saddens me, is that those opposite quite often—as we just heard from Senator Cameron—mistake robust and very healthy debate on significant national issues for disunity. If only those opposite were able to have such robust debate on serious national issues such as energy pricing, availability and reliability, then maybe, just maybe, they wouldn't have left us with 100 per cent price increases in power after six years in government. Sadly, they very rarely have the opportunity to have the debates that we do in our party room.

What I would like to place on record is the record, so that we know where we've got to today and how we've got to the National Energy Guarantee, which I understand will be before the parliament in the next sitting week. As I said, during the six years of government under Labor, supported by the Greens, power prices doubled for Australian families. It didn't just happen; it happened because of the poor policy decisions that were implemented by those opposite. I was incredulous listening to Senator Cameron saying that the only way to reduce energy prices and increase reliability was through renewable energy. He was part of the government that introduced these irresponsible policies that doubled prices. It is quite extraordinary that he now thinks, all of a sudden—after they screwed up our energy policy and prices for so many years, which we are now dealing with—that that is the way to decrease prices. It's not only what Labor left us with after six years in government; the state Labor government policies have also continued to increase pressure on prices through job-destroying gas bans, moratoriums, unrealistic renewable energy targets and open hostility to reliable baseload power.

I was also reflecting when Senator Cameron was speaking—and it will be very interesting to hear from those opposite when they stand up to speak about this—that the greatest tactic that those opposite have is that, when they're on the defensive, they go on the attack and come up with this emotional and sometimes quite interesting rhetoric that actually bears no resemblance to the truth. Why do they do that? Because we have not heard one thing from those opposite about what their alternative policy would be—about how they would continue to increase reliability while, at the same time, reducing prices. That is the thing for anybody listening or watching today: have a look, watch what they're doing and hear what they're saying. I can guarantee you now, like Senator Cameron, there will not be one solution or one credible policy alternative to the NEG. That's the challenge I have for those opposite: tell us what else you would do to reduce prices for families and also increase reliability.

Unlike those opposite, the Turnbull government is taking action to fix this mess. What is the alternative, as I said? Let's have a further look at this alternative that we've heard nothing of from those opposite in the chamber today or any other day. I certainly don't think we'll hear it from them when the National Energy Guarantee comes on for debate in this place. Let's have a look at what their alternative, which they never talk about in this place, actually is. Bill Shorten wants a 50 per cent renewable target at a national level—