Ken O'Dowd (Flynn, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Environment and Energy. Will the minister update the House on how the government is taking a technology-neutral all-of-the-above approach to energy policy? Is the minister aware of alternative approaches that would increase cost and threaten supply?

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Flynn for his question and acknowledge his deep commitment to the measures the Turnbull government is taking to increase gas supply through the export gas restrictions; through the increased investment in storage like Snowy Hydro 2.0; through the work we are doing to rein in network costs as well as retail costs; and through the amendments that we are moving to the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to get carbon capture and storage into the mix.

We know that the Labor Party has an alternative approach where they saw electricity bills increase by 100 per cent when they were in power. And we also know that they pursue a 45 per cent emissions target, so I asked myself: why is Labor pursuing these reckless emissions reduction targets? We know it is personal, and so the overworked, underpaid member for Fenner told us today in a way that really would appeal to those Australian families struggling with their electricity bills, those Australian businesses that may be closing their doors and those Australian pensioners who cannot keep the lights on and their heating. So what did the member for Fenner say today to ABC News? Shush—the member for Fenner said that, if we cannot tackle climate change, we may 'lose the ski season', Mr Speaker. What else has the member for Fenner worked out? Is he worried about Christmas in July being a permanent fixture? Is the member for Fenner worried about the Boxing Day test being on 1 August?

No, but there is some good news about climate change. The member for Lilley's permanent tanning centre can be turned off now in August. My department has done a bit of modelling and, if the member for Lilley turns off his tanning apparatus, we will save something like 500 megawatts—half the capacity of the closure of Hazelwood.

So, at the end of the day, the Labor Party used to worry about people losing their jobs. You used to worry about families not being able to pay their electricity bills. You used to be worried about trade exposed industries. Now, the member for Fenner and the Labor Party are only worried about one thing: losing the ski season.