Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Disability and Carers) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Cormann. The Prime Minister has expressed his government's commitment to a technology agnostic approach to energy. Why then is Minister Frydenberg now working on an add-on energy policy to address concerns about the NEG and the lack of support for coal?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Firstly, I don't accept the premise of the question. Secondly, of course, our National Energy Guarantee is a technology agnostic approach to lower electricity prices, to increase electricity reliability and to achieve emissions reductions in a way that is economically responsible. What I would say to the good senator is that on our side of politics we actually engage in policy discussion. That's a novel thing. We engage in policy discussion in order to get to the best possible way forward for the Australian people.

The Labor Party members are treated like mushrooms by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Shorten. In the Labor Party, a decision is made to hit small businesses across Australia for six, impose higher taxes, hurt working families and send jobs overseas. That sort of decision is made by a desperate Leader of the Opposition focused on saving his own job and putting the jobs of millions of Australian workers at risk. That sort of decision is made without even going to the shadow cabinet, the shadow ERC or the shadow Labor—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, I trust David Speers. You trust the journalists—

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On direct relevance: the question is, why then is Minister Frydenberg working on an add-on energy policy to address concerns about the NEG and the lack of support for coal, which was reported in The Guardian and, I think, elsewhere. The point of order, as I said, is on direct relevance. How can a discussion about the opposition be directly relevant to that question?

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You have reminded Senator Cormann of the second half of the question. I'll remind him of the first half and draw his attention to both in answering it.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said right up-front, we reject the premise of the question. There is no lack of support for coal. We're focused on a policy framework that provides certainty to investors so we can increase energy supplies across Australia in a technology neutral fashion. Increasing energy supplies across Australia will have to bring down power prices. That's what we're focused on. We know it's very important. We know that Australian families and Australian businesses need lower power prices. We know, as a result of the policies that in particular were pursued during the Rudd and Gillard years in government, that power prices have continued to go up, and we're working very hard to bring them down. Minister Frydenberg has been working very hard to make that happen. Of course, the Labor Party is not interested in the answers. (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Brown, a supplementary question.

Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Disability and Carers) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

() (): Dr Kerry Schott, Chair of the government's own Energy Security Board has said, 'There would be absolutely no way that anybody would be financing a new coal-fired generation plant because the cost of coal is always going to be more than the cost of wind and sun.' Can the minister confirm that Minister Frydenberg is ignoring Dr Schott's advice to satisfy the hard Right of the coalition party room? (Time expired)

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll remind senators on both sides of the chamber of my plea for silence during the question.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the Liberal-National Parties we talk about policies and we're not frightened to engage in policy debate, unlike the leader of the Labor Party who is too scared even to take a proposal for higher tax on small business to his Labor caucus. The government's National Energy Guarantee will cut electricity prices by ending subsidies for energy, which are passed on to all consumers, of course, putting prices up; create a level playing field that ensures that all types of energy are part of Australia's energy mix; provide certainty for investors, because more certainty will mean more supply and in turn lower prices; reduce volatility by ensuring that reliable energy sources which provide power when it's needed can be guaranteed; and ensure that Australians will be $300 a year better off than they would be under Labor. Under Labor, not only will Australians earn less but they will have to pay more. Not only will they earn less—because the economy will be weaker; there'll be fewer jobs, higher unemployment and lower wages—but they will have to pay more for their electricity. (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Brown, a final supplementary question.

Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Disability and Carers) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Twenty-four hours after the most recent coalition push for coal, Minister Frydenberg has declared that he would 'welcome a new coal-fired power station'. Why have the Prime Minister and Minister Frydenberg again caved in to the far Right of the coalition party room?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is a ridiculous question. Of course we would welcome a new coal-fired power station. There is nothing new about that. The Prime Minister is on the record saying that. The National Energy Guarantee actually provides the certainty that investors into a future coal-fired power station need in order to ensure that they can have certainty around that investment. We are not ideological; we're not religious about these things. We are focused on bringing down the costs of electricity for working families around Australia and ensuring that businesses around Australia can be competitive internationally. And we are focused on making sure that the lights stay on.

If you look at Labor jurisdictions around Australia, not the least of which is the discredited Labor state government in South Australia which was voted out of government lately, they couldn't even keep the lights on. Our focus is on making sure that we bring electricity prices down, that we keep the lights on and that we meet our emissions reduction targets in a way that is economically responsible. (Time expired)