Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

HUGHES () (): My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Gallagher. Labor's Powering Australia plan says, in black and white, that it will cut power bills for families and businesses by $275 a year, for homes, by 2025 compared to today. Will the Minister representing the Treasurer guarantee that Australian families and businesses will see a cut to power bills of $275 a year by 2025 compared to today?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Hughes for the question. Again, they're leading with their chin on a matter around energy policy. The first question was on wages policy, the deliberate design feature of the economic architecture. The third one is on energy policy. How many was it? Twenty-two. And they didn't land one of them. Twenty-two in nine years, they didn't land one of them, and what have we got now? An energy crisis!

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hughes?

Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order: direct relevance. The question was around bills being cut to families and businesses, and a promise from Treasury that that would occur, not around climate policy. This was about cutting bills.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Hughes.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Really!

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hughes, resume your seat.

Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes. It is actually a separate thing. No wonder we are in trouble!

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would ask Minister Wong—Senator Hughes! Senators. I would ask senators not to argue across the table, Minister Wong and Senator Hughes. The minister is being relevant. She is talking about the price of electricity. I will listen carefully to the rest of—

An honourable senator interjecting—

The senator, Senator Hughes, stood up and called a point of order. It is not for other senators to interject. I've made my decision. I've indicated I will listen carefully to the minute and 31 seconds remaining, and if the minister isn't being relevant I will direct her to the question. Minister Gallagher.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The senator asked me whether the government would guarantee Australians lower power prices, and, yes, we will. We will! We will put downward pressure on energy prices, absolutely, because we are doing exactly what we said we would do.

Opposition senators interjecting—

The:

Minister, resume your seat, please. Senator Hughes, unless—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Cash. I sat the minister down because I couldn't hear her answers. I will wait until there's quiet in the chamber before I call the minister again. Minister Gallagher.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We will lower power prices by implementing the Powering Australia plan, which we took to the election, which was our one-and-only plan compared to their 22 plans that they didn't implement in nine years. We will take the plan—and the absolute gall of the opposition, when we know that the member for Hume, two days before the election was called, actually amended the industry code for electrical retailers, on 6 April, to delay the release of increases in the default market offer for New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia. That's what your government did. Two days before the election was called you hid the increase of electricity prices. You hid it! Not only did you not try to sweep it under, you amended the industry code so that people didn't know before the election. That's what you did. Now we will clean up this mess. We will implement powering Australia— (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hughes, first supplementary?

Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Perhaps Minister Gallagher might need to listen to the Australian Energy Regulator, because ever since the change of government the Australian Energy Regulator has stated that increasing prices are likely to persist. Doesn't this show that the independent experts don't believe that Labor's policies will reduce power prices?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would say that the 19.7 per cent increase to the default market offer, that the former government hid from the Australian people on the eve of an election—

Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's not about the former government. You're making a bad situation worse with every decision.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is what you did. You didn't want people to know before the election that there was a 19.7 per cent increase coming their way. Our policy will put downward pressure on electricity prices by getting more renewables into the grid. We will do what we said we will do. We will put downward pressure—

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Gallagher, resume your seat. I am struggling to hear the minister's answers. Please listen quietly, and interjections are disorderly, particularly those across the chamber. Minister, please continue.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We will implement the Powering Australia plan. It will put more renewables into the grid; 82 per cent of the Powering Australia plan will be from renewable energy. It will put downward pressure on energy bills, on electricity bills. You guys weren't doing it because you didn't believe in renewables, right? You couldn't sign up to it. That is what will help put downward pressure on— (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hughes, a second supplementary question?

Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I appreciate that there has been a guarantee—which is probably a word that's not in the talking points, because no-one else from Labor will say that word—but, given the minister representing the Treasurer has signed up with the rest of the Albanese government and its ministers to refuse to guarantee the $275 that was promised—and that's the number we're asking you to guarantee—isn't it true that the Albanese government has already broken its promise on power bill reduction? (Time expired)

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

From out of the mouths of those that continuously broke promises! We will guarantee that we will implement our Powering Australia plan, which will put downward pressure on electricity prices and assist households in a way that those opposite never did—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, please resume your seat. Please continue now that the chamber is quiet.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We stand by the modelling that underpinned our plan. We stand by our plan. We stand by the fact—

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You sold a dud!

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McGrath, take a breath.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We stand by the fact that we will be honest and up-front with the Australian people. We don't stand by the behaviour of those opposite, particularly the member for Hume, who, on the eve of an election being called, amended the industry code so that the Australian people didn't go to the election knowing that under your watch there had been a 19.7 per cent increase in electricity.