Andrew Wilkie (Clark, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I applaud the member for Kooyong for bringing this matter of public importance before the House. It's a powerful reminder at a critical point in time that, if we get it right, the energy transition can support climate action, ease the cost-of-living pressures for Australians and enhance Australia's energy independence. The reality is that the cheapest energy available to many households today is the energy they don't have to buy, or the renewable energy they generate themselves. That is why investments in household measures, such as rooftop solar, home batteries, insulation, energy efficient appliances and electrification, should all be priorities for governments at all levels in this country. These measures reduce energy demand, cut household bills and ease pressure on the broader energy system. They also accelerate Australia's transition to cleaner energy, which is essential, of course, if we are to meet our climate obligations and protect our environment for future generations.

Of course, there's another very important dimension to this conversation that's often overlooked, and that's energy security. If that wasn't staring us in the face previously, it sure is now, with global oil supplies in doubt and oil shares whiplashing like there's no tomorrow. While some bowsers run dry and fuel prices spike, this is unsurprisingly the hottest political topic right now, turbocharged by the opposition, which is shamelessly and cynically trying to tap into it for political gain. But that's not to say that the government has clean hands, because, like its predecessors, it has virtually ignored the International Energy Agency's fuel-holding guidelines and, even now, is failing to urgently introduce the sorts of pricing restrictions adopted by, at least, Germany. Like most of my colleagues, I've been hearing regularly from constituents about increased prices at the bowser. I take the point of the Minister for Climate Change and Energy that Australia currently has a sufficient fuel supply and that supplies continue to reach Australia, but that just makes it even more appalling that retailers are jacking up prices in this way. Frankly, it's just shameless price gouging done under the cover of the illegal war in Iran, and it should come with serious consequences, but, so far, it doesn't.

All of this goes to show that, in a world where energy markets are increasingly volatile and geopolitical tensions have the potential for prolonged disruption of global supply chains, Australia must think carefully about its energy independence and its sovereign capability, and it must think too about the impact that energy insecurity has on the lives of ordinary Australians. When households generate and store their own energy, they are not just saving money; they are contributing to a more decentralised, distributed and resilient national energy system. That makes Australia less vulnerable to international shocks and supply lines, less reliant on our ageing fossil-fuel based energy infrastructure and a harder target for price gouging and cartel-like shakedowns from energy suppliers.

But, as with anything, how we do this matters. While Australia is a world leader in things like rooftop solar, too many people in regional Australia, as well as low- and middle-income earners, renters and other marginalised communities, are missing out. So the government must ensure that investment in household measures means they are available to everyone, not just those who can afford the upfront costs. To that end, the government should enhance and extend its targeted grants, low-interest loans, community energy programs and minimum energy efficiency standards to help ensure that the transition is fair and equitable as well as effective. Of course, the opposition probably won't have a bar of this because they're still hooked on fossil fuels or, depending on the time of day, nuclear power and seemingly baffled by renewable energy. But I suggest they try to take the blinkers off and re-examine the issue in light of the national interest and the interests of their constituents.

Moreover, adding extra capacity and stability to our grid through investment in household measures will be beneficial in freeing up energy capacity and investment for Australian industry. In other words, if you're fair dinkum about being 'hyper-Australia' and starting to make things again in this country, then you'd actually support and fast-track home energy measures. In closing, I want to thank the member for Kooyong for bringing this important topic before the House, because it's increasingly clear that investment in the energy transition for households is good economic policy, good environmental policy and good national security policy.

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