Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

I'm not sure how you link the passing of this bill with the issue of higher electricity prices. As we discovered after we came to office, your government failed to disclose increases in electricity prices. This government is one that's been putting downward pressure on electricity prices by caps on gas and coal. I pay tribute to the outgoing Premier of News South Wales, Dominic Perrottet. To his credit, he was prepared to join forces with the federal government to assist in pushing that downward pressure on electricity prices.

This is not a government that's interested in higher electricity prices. We want prices lower. We don't keep them a secret. We don't keep them under wraps. We don't change the dates for disclosure of them like the previous government does. We acknowledge the problems that are existing right around the world, at the moment, as a result of the terrible war between Ukraine and Russia.

We believe in putting downward pressure on those prices, but there's nothing in this bill that would, in any way, see an upward pressure on electricity prices.