Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Environment, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. Labor was elected on a promise to reduce household electricity bills by $275, but Australians are instead paying amongst the most expensive energy bills in the world. Labor has fallen short of its election commitment by up to $1,027 for everyday households, with many Australians living on a knife's edge under Labor's cost-of-living crisis. We now see around 116,000 people on financial hardship arrangements with their energy retailer, which is a 59 per cent increase since you came to government. With 90 per cent of baseload electricity exiting the system over the next 10 years, the Albanese government can't even tell us how much their renewable plan will cost. Will you acknowledge that Labor has broken its promise to reduce electricity prices by $275 a year and will you apologise for your broken promises and failed policies that are costing Australians so much more? (Time expired)

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

Mate, you should apologise for the irresponsibility of the energy policies that were entered into—or that failed to be entered into by those opposite. Twenty-four out of 28—

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order! Minister Wong, please resume your seat. Minister Wong, please continue.

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

Twenty-four out of 28 coal-fired power stations announced their closure while you were in government. You had no plan replace that supply, let alone increase supply for the growing population—no plan—and under your watch, we saw dispatchable energy—energy generation—exit the system. You had no plan, and now what you are proposing is more delay—

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Minister Wong, please resume your seat. Order on my left. It is not okay—in fact, it is incredibly disrespectful—to be in some kind of competition with the minister to yell louder. This is question time. Questions are asked and you are asked to listen in respectful silence. Minister, please continue.

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

Now the opposition are proposing two things around electricity.

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

Senator Hume, order! Minister Wong, please continue.

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

Now what you are proposing, apart from opposing energy bill relief—

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

Order, Senator Ruston!

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

is a political strategy to put in place—

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

Minister Wong, please resume your seat. Senator Ruston, I just called for order and then I called you by name and you simply ignored me. That's disrespectful to me as the President. It is my job to keep order during question time, and, when I ask for order, it should be granted and given and respected. Minister Wong.

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

And now what you are proposing is the most expensive form of electricity that is possible in nuclear power. All you will tell Australians is that it will be a big bill. Even if you went down this path, there would be a delay until the 2040s. We are very clear about the importance of this energy transition. We have to reduce emissions. We have to move to a much cleaner energy system. We have to increase renewables, and that is what we are doing. Those opposite, in their anti-renewables obsession, are simply going to seek, should they win government, to impose the most expensive form of energy and of electricity on Australians, and they are asking Australians to pick up the tab. And they have the temerity to talk about electricity prices— (Time expired)

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

Senator Duniam, first supplementary?

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Environment, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Since Labor came to government just two years ago, electricity bills are up a staggering 21½ per cent. The Prime Minister promised to make life easier and reduce energy bills, but the truth is that, after these two years under his weak leadership, life has never been harder and electricity bills aren't coming down by $275 anytime soon. Your so-called relief is just a one-off, and the RBA themselves have said that prices will bounce right back. Won't Australians continue to pay more and be worse off under Labor?

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

Australians would be worse off if a government sought to impose the most expensive energy there is on them and made them pick up the tab. Let's be clear: that question is being asked by a member of Peter Dutton's front bench—a party that is going to serve up the most expensive form of energy there is and ask Australians to pay for it. That is who that question is coming from. It is true that energy prices—electricity prices—are really tough for so many Australians. That is why it is incomprehensible to Australians why those opposite would have opposed so much of the electricity price relief that this government sought to put in place. People, remember that that question is being asked by somebody who wants Australians to pay higher prices. (Time expired)

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

Senator Duniam, second supplementary?

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Environment, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Albanese has ridiculed any attempt to consider alternative energy sources such as zero emissions nuclear in Australia's future energy mix, instead insisting on an unproven renewables-only approach. Why should Australians have to pay the bill for the Prime Minister's reckless pig-headedness—

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

Senator Duniam, withdraw that comment.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Environment, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Withdrawn—which will only drive up energy bills higher, make our energy grid less secure and make it much harder to do business and create jobs in Australia?

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

What is pig-headed is to pursue a policy that will cost more without telling Australians how much it will cost, which is precisely what those opposite wish to do—

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

Minister Wong, please resume your seat.

Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order: you asked Senator Duniam to withdraw because he said a particular word which was immediately repeated—

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

Senator Hume, as I'm sure you are aware, personal reflections on senators or MPs are not in line with our standing orders. I viewed the comment made in Senator Duniam's question about the PM to be a personal reflection. However, Minister Wong has simply used that term. That term itself is not unparliamentary, but it is unparliamentary—

Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

She was directing it towards Senator Duniam—

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

Senator Hume, you are not in a debate with me. It is not unparliamentary if it's simply used without attaching it to a particular senator or MP.

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

I'm always happy to withdraw, if it assists, President—

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

Thank you, Senator Wong.

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

so I'm happy to withdraw. What I would say is this: those opposite are supporting a policy which will impose the most expensive energy there is on Australians without telling them how much it will cost. Those opposite are more obsessed with being anti renewables than with ensuring that Australians have access to reliable, reasonably priced energy. I know that those opposite don't like to be reminded of the facts, but it is the case that renewables are the cheapest form of new energy. Your ideological obsession against that cannot be supported. (Time expired)