Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—On behalf of the member for Durack, I move:

That this House:

(1) notes:

(a) the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's July 2022 gas inquiry interim report, which forecasts that demand for gas for electricity generation will grow by 70 per cent next year and that gas supplies will remain tight;

(b) the implication of this forecast is that gas prices will remain elevated for at least another 12 to 18 months and, by extension, electricity wholesale prices will remain two to three hundred per cent higher than their average under the previous Government for the foreseeable future;

(c) that there is now no prospect of the Government delivering on its promise, made in December 2021 and repeated throughout the 2022 federal election campaign, that it would reduce household power bills by $275 by 2025; and

(d) the silence from the Prime Minister and the Minister for Climate Change and Energy on these issues, and the Minister for Resources' refusal to call on southern state governments to develop new gas resources; and

(2) condemns the Government's abandonment of its election commitment to cut power prices and its failure to come up with any concrete actions or plan to respond to the east coast energy crisis after nine weeks of dithering and delay.

I rise to speak in support of this motion. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's July 2022 interim report on its gas inquiry confirms the east coast energy crisis is likely to last beyond the winter of 2023. This is extremely concerning for Australian businesses and households alike. A forecasted 70 per cent increase in gas demand for electricity generation and high international gas prices means that both electricity and gas prices on the east coast of Australia are likely to remain elevated for at least the next 12 months. While I don't think we can assign blame to the Labor government for a surge in international gas prices, it is the government's responsibility to come up with a plan to address this crisis.

What is the plan? The responses from the ministers responsible have been abysmal so far. The resources minister, Madeleine King, managed to say that she was commissioning a discussion paper and promised to set in motion the process of triggering the Australian domestic gas security mechanism. The energy minister, Chris Bowen, has been missing in action. He doesn't support bringing on new gas supply. It would jeopardise his chances of more deals with the Greens on climate legislation.

Australia simply needs more energy. The best long-term fix to disconnect domestic gas prices from high global prices is more supply. The coalition had a plan in government to unlock new supply to keep prices low and the lights on. Our record on energy and emissions speaks for itself. We saw record installations of renewable energy over the past three years. We committed to net zero and put in place the technology investment road map to guide investment of $22 billion in new energy technologies. We saw the results. Under the coalition, electricity prices fell eight per cent for households, 10 per cent for small businesses and 12 per cent for industry. We meet and beat our targets without legislating them. We beat our 2020 targets by more than 459 million tonnes, and we were on track to meet and beat our 2030 target. Last year, Australia's emissions were more than 20 per cent below 2005 levels, while our economy had grown by 45 per cent over the same time period. The coalition's strategic basin plans and the National Gas Infrastructure Plan was also backed by more than $300 million of funding.

The government must put aside politics and support projects like the Beetaloo Strategic Basin Plan, which was introduced by the coalition. We also committed billions of dollars to the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility, also known as the NAIF, which was being used to support the development of new gas supply projects. It is uncertain whether the new Labor government will support the NAIF with continued funding.

Australia must have a long-term plan for efficient and reliable energy. As the shadow assistant minister for manufacturing, this is one of the key issues that is raised with me, and the cost of energy is seen as the key handbrake on prosperity for many manufacturing businesses. Short-sighted bans on developing unconventional onshore gas are coming home to roost. The Labor government's dithering and naval-gazing are sending businesses to the wall and households choosing between heating and eating. But it didn't take the Albanese Labor government very long to break one of its central election promises, to cut household power bills by $275 by 2025. I remember seeing signage on election day that said they were going to deliver this $275 saving. They've been in government for well over 100 days, and no attempt has been made to deliver on this commitment. When they're asked questions about when they'll be providing this cost saving to Australian households, all they do is dodge the subject. The Labor government continues to treat Australians like mugs and is unwilling to talk about alternative energy sources.

Australia is faced with an energy crisis, and this side of the chamber is not afraid to ask questions and find solutions that will keep the lights on and save Australians from increasing cost pressures. That's why the coalition is willing to have a sensible and respectful conversation about nuclear energy. The formation of a coalition policy committee to explore the introduction of nuclear into Australia's energy mix was a clear indicator of the coalition's willingness to listen and learn, for the interests of all Australians. We have driven the need for this debate to happen, and the formation of the policy committee is a clear victory for common sense. It's disappointing the Prime Minister is unwilling to even have a discussion with the opposition. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition and member for Maranoa offered the opportunity for the Prime Minister to lead a national conversation on a nuclear energy. He wrote to the Prime Minister on 8 June 2022, calling for a national energy summit. The Prime Minister has rejected the deputy opposition leader's request and shown that the Labor government is not interested in exploring all possible future energy sources. We need a permanent solution to the energy crisis.

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