Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you to the honourable member for his question. It's all I can do to get a question from the shadow treasurer, Mr Speaker. I acknowledge, as you did, Mr Speaker, the delegations from Townsville and Brisbane, and say particularly to the group from Townsville how much I enjoyed catching up with them through the course of the week. My advice to the shadow treasurer is to get on the blower to Kim and explain to Kim why when the shadow treasurer and all of those members over there had the opportunity to vote for a little bit of help when it came to a higher energy bills they left them hanging. Those opposite completely abandoned the people in every suburb of this country and every small business which will be eligible for the energy bill relief that was passed through this parliament no thanks to those opposite.

It is especially galling to get a question from Australia's worst ever energy minister about energy prices. He was the worst performing minister in the worst performing government since Federation.

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