Jo Briskey (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is the height of hypocrisy for those opposite to come into this chamber and speak the word 'betrayal'. If we want to talk about betrayal, let's talk about the decade of economic wreckage left behind by those opposite. Let's talk about the decade of denial, delay and cuts that stalled our energy grid and gutted the essential services that Australian families rely on. The opposition stands here today pretending to be the champions of everyday Aussies, but there seems to be some amnesia from those opposite.

Let's look at their record. Let's look at the man they are apparently going to elect to lead them, potentially, tomorrow: the member for Hume. Where was he in those decades of those lost years while he was the minister for energy? Under the member for Hume's watch, energy bills didn't just rise; they soared. He presided over a chaotic, ideologically driven era where four gigawatts of dispatchable power left the grid, with only one measly gigawatt put in to replace it. Those opposite didn't just fail to plan; they planned to fail.

We on this side of the chamber know that Australians are under pressure, and we're doing something about it—not 22 failed energy policies. Our plan is clear, and every member on this side of the chamber is united behind that plan. It's to deliver real cost-of-living relief whilst building Australia's future. Since coming into office, we haven't just talked about the problem; we've acted. We are fixing the mess they left behind. We delivered the most significant energy bill relief in our nation's history. And how did the coalition respond to this direct help for Australians they say they champion? They voted against it. Every single time we stand in this House to lower the bills of everyday Australians, they say no. They voted against the Energy Price Relief Plan. They voted against the caps on gas and coal prices. They talk about betrayal. But the fact that they can look into the eyes of struggling families and then go and vote against their bill relief is the ultimate betrayal.

Our government is doing the heavy lifting to rebuild a grid that those opposite ignored for 10 years. We're acting on a suite of energy market reforms to make the market operate more efficiently. We're investing in the renewable revolution. We've launched the Solar Share Offer and the Cheaper Home Batteries Program, ensuring that the benefits of the cheapest form of energy—renewables—are felt in the hip pocket of every Australian. I think of Rhonda and Mark from Travancore in my electorate, who have embraced renewable energy in their household and are now reaping the rewards: cheaper energy prices.

Those opposite may not want to talk about the past, but what about the future? Their decade of denial was a betrayal of the futures of young Australians. By refusing to acknowledge the reality of climate change, they didn't just stall our economy; they risked our children's future. Now they want to double down on that betrayal with a nuclear fantasy that experts say is the most expensive way to generate power and won't be ready for decades. It's a recipe for higher bills and more delay. Well, young Australians cannot afford such reckless policies,

Labor is delivering for working people. We have delivered real wage increases for the first time in a decade, benefiting our educators, our carers and our low-income workers. These are the everyday Australians those opposite say they are the champions of, yet they vote against protecting penalty rates and rail against superannuation reforms that benefit working people.

On health care, we know the cost of living is tough. That's why we've made PBS medicines cheaper, freezing the price of PBS scripts at a maximum of $25—helping people like Fatima in my electorate, who is living with a neurological disorder. She's in her 30s, and the cost of her medicines has been a constant strain on her budget. Fatima represents the many Australians who are benefiting not just from cheaper medicines reforms but from more bulk-billing services, our expanded network of Medicare urgent care clinics and the largest investment in women's health ever.

Those opposite come in here and give speeches about government spending. While we return to our communities tonight to continue delivering for them, those opposite will stay behind for yet another party room meeting, where they'll attempt to knife their first female leader—and they want to lecture us about betrayal!

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