Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

I thank my honourable friend for her question. I enjoyed campaigning with her in the beautiful suburb of Travancore, where we were campaigning on cheaper home batteries. The honourable member asked me how we're delivering. We're delivering on the cheaper-home-batteries policy that she and I, and everyone on this side of the House, sought a mandate to deliver.

Yesterday I told the House that just over 11,000 households across the country had installed batteries under the cheaper-home-batteries policy. It's moving so fast I need to provide a daily update to the House; today, I can say that 12,226 households across Australia have installed batteries under the cheaper-home-batteries policy. If you already have solar panels, you can cut your bill by over $1,000. If you install solar panels and batteries together, that can cut your bill by $2,300 a year for a typical family—which, of course, is 90 per cent of the bill for an average typical family. This is a good thing.

The honourable member asked me if we are being asked to consider any alternatives. Indeed, the whole House is being asked to consider alternatives. In fact, next week the member for New England is going to introduce his anti-net zero bill on behalf of the coalition. I received a copy of the bill yesterday through unusual channels; they're leaking like a sieve over there! It's the Repeal Net Zero Bill 2025—fair enough! But, when you look at it, it actually goes a lot further than that. The House will be interested to know what it's going to be asked to vote on by the coalition. Schedule 1, 'Amendments', part 1, says 'repeal the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011'. So all those farmers across Australia who are getting income from carbon credits and carbon funds—that all stops; farmers' income stops. Next is 'repeal the Climate Change Act 2022'; I guess we expected that one! Next is 'repeal the Future Made in Australia (Guarantee of Origin) Act'—well, you wouldn't want things made in Australia, would you; that'd be a terrible thing! Next is 'repeal the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007'—so not only do the coalition not want us to reduce emissions; they want to stop measuring them. Next is 'repeal the Net Zero Economy Authority Act'—that's the organisation which creates jobs in the region, so they're against that. But here's the kicker: 'repeal the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000'. That was introduced by the woke warrior, John Howard! He goes around art galleries throwing paint at pictures, does John Howard; that's how extreme he is! That is the act that has supported solar panels and now batteries across Australia. That's the act under which I signed the regulation for cheaper home batteries. If that act goes, all the support for solar panels goes and all the cheaper home batteries go out the door.

The Leader of the Nationals, during the election campaign, promised they'd do something about batteries; he said, 'It's really important we do something about household batteries.' They never actually did but at least he was in the zone; he had the vibe. We're delivering a policy. Their policy is net zero climate action. (Time expired)

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