Pat Conroy (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I have got news for you. That is post the repeal of the carbon tax. It is taking out any impact of the carbon tax. The wholesale energy price on 1 July 2014, when the carbon price was repealed, was $58. It is now $130. The cost of electricity generation in this country has more than doubled under their watch, not just in Queensland but around the country. This goes to the myth behind this whole mess.

Mr Ted O'Brien interjecting—

I have got news for you, Sunshine, Queensland is part of the National Electricity Market. So prices across the entire NEM have doubled in the last three years. And why have they doubled? Because of the uncertainty around climate change and energy policy. Do not take my word for it; I am not asking those on the other side to take my word for it. That is from the Australian Energy Council, the peak industry body for energy generators. The electricity generators have said that the cost of energy policy uncertainty in this country under their watch, under their incompetent government, is $50 a megawatt hour because of the uncertainty.

Instead of rational economic policy driving their policy and instead of rational economic theory it has been driven by the member for Hughes, the member for Warringah and all the other dinosaurs in their party room who are writing this policy. This is the nub of this debate.

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