Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education and Training representing the Minister for the Environment and Energy, Senator Birmingham. Can the minister apprise the Senate of energy affordability and reliability for Australian families and businesses?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for his question on an issue of importance to Australian households and businesses and the Australian economy. It stands in stark contrast to every single question we have had from those opposite today, who are just interested in playing political games. Well, they can play their political games, but the Turnbull government will get on with ensuring that electricity prices are brought down as far as possible for Australian households and businesses. We know that electricity prices have a real impact on cost-of-living pressures for Australian households. We know they have a real impact on the competitiveness of Australian businesses. That's why we're taking action that will drive down prices and improve affordability for millions of Australian households.

The result of the work done by the Prime Minister and Mr Frydenberg with energy retailers over recent weeks will see more than two million Australian households clearly advised of the way in which they can access cheaper electricity in the future. This will mean cheaper bills for households, which will improve their cost-of-living circumstances. These reforms will not just be the initial steps of the retailers committing through two different ways of communication with their customers to offer those cheaper rates and prices and ensure people understand. They will also ensure that market rules, ACCC rules and ongoing communications with consumers will empower them to make decisions that guarantee that their prices will be lower in the future.

These are issues that are of genuine importance to the Australian people. These are issues that matter in terms of their cost-of-living pressures, their household budgets and the viability of their businesses. Those opposite may not care. They might want to run political games in here. But nothing will distract the Turnbull government from its focus on helping people to get ahead and mange their cost of living.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Smith, a supplementary question?

Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister outline what the Turnbull government is doing to ensure that there is enough dispatchable generation in the energy system?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Turnbull government is making sure that future decisions around energy generation are guided by engineering and economics—not by the type of ideology that those opposite like to play and not by the type of posture politics that many of the state governments like to play but by real, sensible investments, such as the Snowy 2.0 scheme. The scheme will add 2,000 megawatts and 350,000 megawatt hours of generation capacity a week—enough to power 500,000 homes.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When is it going to be built?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Already 350 people are employed on the project. Already 350 people are making a contribution to what will be massive energy storage that will ensure that intermittent renewables become viable and will be part of a more stable energy market in the future. It will guarantee that we have a better-functioning market that is more affordable and more reliable for the future.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Smith, a final supplementary question?

Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the minister aware of any risks to a reliable and stable energy system in Australia?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It was with great surprise that I, and I suspect many on this side of the chamber, looked this morning at the Financial Review and saw the headline, 'Labor rules out energy deals with Greens'. Well, that was news! It was news, of course, because here in the Senate we see what Labor do and not just what they say. We saw that earlier this year Labor voted with Greens senators on a motion that said coal 'has no long-term future in Australia'. That sounded like a cosy Labor-Greens deal. Late last year, Labor co-sponsored a Senate inquiry with the Greens, with the ambition to 'encourage the retirement of coal-fired power stations'—another cosy Labor-Greens policy deal. The Labor-Greens inquiry even went so far as saying:

The question is not if coal fired power stations will close, but how quickly …

We know that, contrary to how Labor might want to brief the media now, they will always be in bed with the Greens and always be a danger to affordable and reliable energy in Australia.