Ken Wyatt (Hasluck, Liberal Party, Minister for Aged Care) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Bennelong for his continued interest in aged care. I was concerned when I read in the Queensland Courier-Mail that soaring power prices and shortages could disrupt aged care services, putting old people at risk. You asked me what a risk is in all of this. I want to say that this government recognises the importance of good energy policy and security, and this is why we've taken decisive action to act on this issue. The CEO of the Australian Energy Market Operator, Audrey Zibelman said, 'The power system does not have the reserves it once had, and therefore a balance of peak summer demand in real time provides a heightened risk to supply.'

I know that the issues we currently face are a direct result of Labor's total lack of action on energy policy in government and their ideological pursuit of higher energy prices and an unstable energy system. Labor admitted its role in creating this problem when the member for Port Adelaide, Mark Butler, said on Insiders in August, 'Everyone knew there was going to be an impact on prices.' Labor's own energy white paper in 2012 stated that there are likely to be short-to-medium term transitional pressures in the eastern market.

Mr Khalil interjecting—

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