Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. I recall just a few weeks ago our visit to Port Lincoln, a city which has got to the point where, because of the unreliability of electricity in South Australia, businesses are investing millions of dollars in back-up generators. That is the great achievement of the Labor Party's energy policy in South Australia—back-up generators. As one of the honourable member's constituents said, 'We may as well be operating in a Third World country, the electricity is so unreliable.' We stand for secure, affordable electricity. We stand for policies that deliver on our emission reduction targets. And we believe that every party and every leader, or would-be leader, must have a commitment to delivering energy security, because it is the foundation of all of the opportunities for households, for businesses, for families and for employment.

The truth is that the Labor Party stands today for higher power bills and less available and less affordable childcare. That is their position. That is where they have staked their ground. They are opposing our childcare reforms; reforms which will make childcare more affordable, more available and, above all, more affordable for the families on the lowest incomes. So more mums will be able to make that balance, get out into the workplace and stay in the workplace. As one of the mothers said to me yesterday, 'These reforms will enable me to work an extra day. These will enable me to keep more of my after-tax income.' This is a huge opportunity. It builds on our commitment to provide security.

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

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