Matt Burnell (Spence, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Industry and Science. What is the Albanese Labor government doing to help reduce pressure on energy prices for Australian manufacturers, like those in my electorate? How has this been effective compared to other approaches?

Ed Husic (Chifley, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's terrific to get a great question from a huge supporter of Australian manufacturing, and thank you for that.

The Albanese government believes in a future made in Australia. It's important for our longer-term economic and social good, and revitalising Australian manufacturing is a big part of that.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will pause. The member for Fairfax. I want to be clear. I can definitely hear what you are saying. I will ask you to cease interjecting. The minister, in continuation.

Ed Husic (Chifley, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you. But if we want that to happen, there are some things that we can do that can help in a very concrete way. To get the job done, Australian manufacturers need access to affordable energy, be it for food manufacturing in Spence, making steel in Cunningham or producing trucks in Oxley. Our energy price relief plan is really important for Australian manufacturers. That will help them get goods to market better. It's also going to protect jobs. It will put downward pressure on prices and take up the fight on inflation.

When the global energy prices started to take off and you saw skyrocketing coal and gas prices, what did we get out of those opposite? We had 22 failed energy plans, and they actively conspired to hide price hikes from the Australian public. In the second quarter of 2022, the last quarter under those opposite, electricity prices paid by Australian manufacturers increased 60 per cent.

By contrast, new figures released last week showed that the Albanese government's approach is working. AEMO predicted electricity prices for manufacturers would go up by nearly 33 per cent in the second quarter of this year, but last week they showed prices actually went down 1.5 per cent. The big take-out on this is that the actions of the government helped shield manufacturers from the worst of the price increases. Those actions: an energy price cap, price relief for households, a mandatory code of conduct that makes it easier for manufacturers and producers to strike up contracts.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Fairfax is warned.

So is the member for Page.

Ed Husic (Chifley, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Those opposite will puff out their chests and say, 'I'll go to Canberra and ask a question about energy price increases affecting manufacturers.'

But here's a radical idea: why don't those opposite ever look those manufacturers in the eye? Why don't they have the guts to say they voted against the very energy price relief that would have helped those manufacturers? This is the standout quality of those opposite: they're never there with a solution but always there with a problem. Every single Liberal and National MP voted against energy price relief for manufacturers, just like every single Liberal and National MP refused to back Australian manufacturing by backing the National Reconstruction Fund. People who have seen through these guys have seen that they turn up only for a camera. They're never there with a solution but are always part of the problem. (Time expired)

Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. James from Healesville contacted me when he received a letter from his power company advising of his energy cost increases for the next year. James's peak electricity cost is up 44.4 per cent and his off-peak electricity cost is up 41.44 per cent. James doesn't want a one-off hand out—he wants the prices to come down. Why is my constituent suffering because of this Prime Minister's incompetence?

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Members on my left! The member for Page is on a warning.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Casey for his question. The government put in place measures that we brought before this parliament last year—measures to assist individuals, measures to assist small business, measures to assist our economy. What is clear is that those measures have made a substantial difference. I hope the member for Casey tells James that he voted against energy price relief for James. I hope he gets on the blower and says: 'Sorry, James, I got it wrong. I voted against support for you, like I voted against every other positive measure that has been brought before this parliament.' Those opposite are obsessed with just saying no. They want people to be worse off because they think that will make them better off politically. That's the strategy that they have here—constantly being negative, constantly saying no. The Leader of the Opposition takes the last bit of his title very seriously: opposition for opposition's sake, never putting forward a constructive idea. They had one proposal in their budget reply. It took them 11 weeks to come up with costing and then they folded their tent.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister will pause so I can hear from the Manager of Opposition Business.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on relevance—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the interests of everyone, I've finished.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The manager will resume his seat. We will move to the next question.

Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. How is the Albanese Labor government taking action to ease pressure on small business energy costs? What obstacles did the government have to overcome to deliver this plan?

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

I thank my honourable friend for her question and her leadership of her businesses in Bendigo, which I enjoyed visiting with her, as all ministers have, on many occasions. She is an excellent member of parliament for regional Victoria.

Here in the Albanese government, we know that energy costs are a huge issue for businesses, big and small, right across the country, and that is why we have acted. In the face of rising energy costs around the world last year, and in the face of evidence that Australian industry, particularly in relation to gas prices, would come under huge pressure this year, and that many industries would be faced with the decision to stay open or closed, we acted.

We've seen, as the minister for industry has updated us, the impact of that action in the last week. We've seen the ABS data showing that, instead of an expected increase in the cost of energy for manufacturers of over 30 per cent, those costs have gone down 1½ per cent. Instead of going up more than 30 per cent, they went down 1½ per cent. We saw it also last week in the Quarterly energy dynamics report, which showed that wholesale prices are 60 per cent lower today than they were a year ago. This is the direct impact of this government's intervention.

We know that industries and businesses went to see the opposition and begged them to support this intervention. They asked them to act in a bipartisan way to protect Australian industry, and they got the hand: 'Go away. We're not interested; we're going to play politics.' Yet the opposition come in here day after day and pretend to care about energy prices. Instead of asking questions about higher energy prices, they could vote for lower energy prices, and they made their choice. They made their decision. We know that we need to act in the short term and in the medium and long term. We need to act for businesses small and large. That's why, in addition to the intervention last year, which the opposition did not support, the budget contained further measures of support for Australian small businesses.

Ted O'Brien (Fairfax, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

None of them are working, though.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Fairfax is warned and will now leave the chamber under 94(a).

The member for Fairfax then left the chamber.

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

The small business tax relief is for up to 3.8 million small businesses across Australia to invest in renewable energy and energy efficiency to reduce their power prices. On this side, we know what we're for; they know what they're against. They're against lower prices, and they're against renewable energy with that visceral hatred of renewable energy that so many members opposite have. On the other hand, the Albanese government will take whatever action is necessary to help small businesses. Whether it be short-term interventions like last year's or longer-term interventions like the budget, small businesses know they have a government on their side.