Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Brandis. Following the release of the Finkel review, the Prime Minister sold the clean energy target, telling Australians that it had 'very strong virtues' and a lot of merit and would certainly work. Does the Prime Minister stand by these statements?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Moore, the Prime Minister stands by everything he said. And, in particular, what the Prime Minister stands by is a commitment to the Australian people that, as a result of the policies of this government, electricity will be more affordable and more reliable than it ever would be under a Labor government. It is interesting that some statistics were published this morning by the ACCC that indicate that, in the last decade, electricity prices rose by 63 per cent—63 per cent. Almost the entirety of that increase occurred during the period of the Labor government, on Mr Rudd's watch and Ms Gillard's watch.

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

Rubbish! Rubbish!

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And, if you look at the charts, Senator Carr, that the ACCC has produced, that will demonstrate that to be the case. So we're not going to be taking any lectures from the Australian Labor Party or dinosaurs like you, Senator Carr, about keeping electricity prices low. We're not going to be taking any lectures about electricity pricing from the party which, in the state of South Australia, has presided over the most catastrophic policies of any state in the Commonwealth—a state government, under the leadership of the Labor Premier, Mr Weatherill, that cannot keep the lights on. And the reason for that is: you are wedded to ideology and we are not, Senator Carr. We are wedded to pragmatism; we are wedded to good economics; we are wedded to decent engineering solutions, because the Australian people will always know that electricity prices will be lower and supply will be more reliable under a coalition government than it ever would be under a Labor government. If anyone ever had any doubt about that proposition, just look at South Australia.

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

Senator Moore, a supplementary question.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The former Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, who also stood behind everything he said, has refused to support a clean energy target, saying, 'It would be unconscionable.' Who was correct—the current Prime Minister or the former Prime Minister?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Moore, I assume you are referring to some observations that Mr Abbott made during a lecture to a think tank in London last week. I haven't actually read Mr Abbott's speech, but I've seen reports of his remarks, and I actually saw some extracts from his speech on the Insiders program yesterday morning. He made some interesting anthropological observations about people sacrificing goats to volcanoes or something like that, and I note what Mr Abbott had to say. Mr Abbott is entitled to his views. But, Senator Moore, life is too short to read everything that all of one's political colleagues may have to say, no matter how interesting they may be. But you may rest assured, Senator Moore, that the views of the Australian government are the views of the Prime Minister and his cabinet, not the views of a backbencher.

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

Senator Moore, a final supplementary question.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Order on my left. I need to hear the question.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I refer to reports that the clean energy target will be considered again by the coalition party room this week. Is the Prime Minister hoping that third time is the lucky time? Or is he confident that he has weakened his proposal sufficiently to secure the approval of Mr Abbott, the rest of the parliament and the senior leadership group?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are focused on outcomes. And the outcome on which we are focused is the suite of policies that will make energy prices—and, in particular, domestic electricity prices—more affordable and electricity supply more reliable. That is what we are focused on. And, as you know, we have had a discussion within the government. We have considered a variety of points of view, but we will be focused with laser-like focus on two things and two things only: how to make electricity prices more affordable and how to make electricity supply more reliable.

What we don't want to do, and will not do, is see Australia repeat the catastrophe that the Labor government has wrought upon the people of South Australia, where the Labor Party cannot even keep the lights on. We're not going to have that outcome in other states. We will be settling on a suite of policies that makes power more affordable and supply more reliable.