Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (NT, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, we hear a lot about plans and we see very little action. And yes, we will continue to oppose and say no to bad policy. We heard earlier my colleague Senator Colbeck asking Senator Gallagher about the October budget's forecast—a 56 per cent increase in electricity bills for Australian households over the next two years—and whether the government believes that the actual increase will be higher or lower than that forecast. Senator Gallagher, however, did not simply give an answer to the question, instead informing this chamber that the budget figures would be updated in May and then taking the opportunity to try and lay blame at the feet of anyone else. Telling us that the figures will be released at a later date is not answering the question, but then I don't expect anyone from the other side to answer any questions legitimately. We still do not know whether the government believes that their October budget forecast is in fact accurate. Instead of taking responsibility for the decisions of the Labor government that have contributed to the rising cost of living for Australians now, Senator Gallagher and the Labor government would rather hide the answer from Australians and hide from their responsibilities. This has clearly become the norm for this government—breaking promises and then hiding the details while throwing the blame on everybody else.

But this government cannot continue to run from their broken promises. They cannot continue to try to lay the blame at the feet of past governments when their own policies simply do not work. At least 97 times before the election the government promised that it would cut Australians' electricity bills by $275. Of course, they cannot even bring themselves to say the number 275. But not only has the government been unable to deliver on that promise; they have also overseen price increases. They've overseen the contribution of massive pressure and stress on the budgets of Australian families and will continue to do so as they pursue their renewable energy utopia. The reality is that energy prices are predicted to continue to rise at brutal rates that will have real consequences for many everyday Australians come this winter. This is no doubt partly due to the Labor-Greens attack on cheap and reliable energy sources, such as coal, gas and oil, sources of energy that will still be required to back up the Green dream of 100 per cent renewables so that when the wind stops blowing and the sun goes down Australians will still be able to heat their homes and live their lives. While Labor and Minister Gallagher dream of becoming a renewable energy superpower, Australians continue to struggle with the extreme cost of their decisions.

The reality is that renewable energy sources like solar and wind are not cheap, they are not reliable, and they are not powering Australians into the future. They are expensive, add extreme costs and pressure to the grid and leave Australians vulnerable to energy poverty and related dangers. Labor needs to acknowledge this cost to the transitioning and be up-front with the Australian people about the pressures that will come with it. Instead, the Labor government continue to lay the blame on everybody else and anything else to avoid taking responsibility for their own failures.

As was discussed in great detail in the early hours of this morning, the previous coalition government had reduced emissions by 20 per cent on our 2005 base level and put Australia on track to beat our Paris treaty commitments. The previous coalition government had met and exceeded Australia's Kyoto targets. The previous coalition government had committed to a net zero target by 2050 while working to ensure the energy security of Australians—delivering cheap and reliable base-load power to reach a cleaner future while also ensuring Australia remains strong, prosperous and independent. Can the government please stop providing all these grandiose plans, and can the Australian people see action to reduce their electricity and power prices.