Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I'm asked a question about policy certainty. I'm asked a question about policy certainty from the coalition. I'm asked a question about policy certainty from the coalition on energy. How many energy policies did they have? Was it one? Was it two? Was it 10? Was it 12? Was it 15? Was it 18? Was it 20?

A government senator: Higher!

Was it 22? Oh my goodness, 22 policies! And, surprise, surprise, the market said, 'Well, we don't want to invest when we don't even know what the policy framework is.' We saw dispatchable energy out and we had less energy in; prices started to increase; there was a default market offer with an increase. Guess what their great certain policy response was? 'Let's hide it!'

'I tell you what, I've got a great idea,' said Scotty Morrison and Angus. They all sit there in a room—maybe with this one here, with Senator Birmingham—

An opposition senator interjecting—

I'm sorry, Mr Morrison and Mr Taylor. They said: 'We know what we'll do; we'll just hide it. That's what we'll do. That's our great policy response.' Then we come to government and we see the mess and, yes, we are working our way through your mess, which has got worse.

Opposition senators interjecting—