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

I very much appreciate the question from the member for Fowler, and I appreciate the Prime Minister allowing me to answer it, because the member for Fowler has previously said that the Cheaper Home Batteries Program is of little use in her electorate. In fact, the take-up in Fowler is more than double that of the electorate of Sydney when it comes to cheap home batteries, because people in the outer suburbs understand that cheaper home batteries are one way they can reduce their bills permanently.

Fowler, of course, has also been a beneficiary of this government's policies: 65,000 taxpayers have received an average tax cut of $2,160; 58,750 households have received energy bill relief; 23,000 people have had student debt relief through our HECS reductions; and there have been $5,525,000 in savings across PBS net threshold reductions, thanks to the Minister for Health and Ageing's policies.

These are real policies that support the people of Fowler, because this government knows that cost-of-living relief targeted at people who have been doing it tough in Fowler is necessary. The member for Fowler raises Reni's Bar and Grill in the City of Fairfield, a business I know very well. I know the owner very well. I know that the owner sits on Fairfield Council with the member for Fowler. Reni's a good fella, and I'm sure he is concerned.

The member for Fowler is very good at giving advice to other people about what they should do about the cost of living. She does that very regularly in the pages of newspapers and here—saying that other people should do more. The fact of the matter is, we all have responsibility when it comes to the cost of living, including councils. Some of us served on local government and, when we came here, decided to be full-time federal members of parliament. Other people have made other choices. The member for Fowler not so long ago wrote to the New South Wales government—

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