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

My question goes to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister promised Australians a $275 reduction in household power bills every single year. Yet, starting today, households in New South Wales will pay up to $1,000 more than promised, Queensland up to $948, South Australia up to $958 and Victoria up to $657 more than promised.

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

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

The member will pause. Members on my right have been continually interjecting. Members know that it is highly disorderly, particularly when I'm trying to hear the question. We'll start the question again. The member for Fairfax has the call. The clock will be reset.

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

Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question goes to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister promised Australians a $275 reduction in household power bills every single year. Yet, starting today, households in New South Wales will pay up to $1,000 more than promised, Queensland up to $948, South Australia up to $958 and Victoria up to $657 more. Will the Prime Minister come clean and concede his promise will never be met?

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

Implicit in that question from the member for Fairfax is that, if you just have a nuclear reactor in every state, in every electorate, sometime in the 2040s, it will all be fixed. I hope the member for Fairfax has told his constituents in his electorate that the member for Hume deliberately changed the law to conceal from them, ahead of the last election, a 20 per cent increase in their electricity bills. I hope that he has apologised to constituents for voting against the energy bill relief that has provided support at a time where we have seen global energy prices increase. But I hope he told them as well that he was against the cap on coal and gas prices, and against the rebates for households and businesses. I hope he's told his constituents that his policy is to invest billions—who knows how much, because we haven't seen anything—of taxpayer dollars in the most expensive form of new energy. And I hope he has tried to find a single business leader from the energy sector who has said that his plan stacks up at all.

This is what the chief executive of Alinta Energy, Jeff Dimery, had to say—

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

Member for Fisher! The member for Fairfax is seeking the call on a point of order, and I'd like to hear his point of order.

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

It is with regard to relevance. The question asked the Prime Minister if he will come clean and concede that his promise of a $275 reduction in household power bills will—

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

Resume your seat. The Prime Minister was asked a question about—

Manager of Opposition Business, I'm trying to deal with the point of order. If you could assist me, I can assist you. The question was about reduction in power and mentioned the price of power, particularly regarding certain states, and the issue of people paying more. Then there was a question about the Prime Minister's commitment and about his promises. The Prime Minister needs to make sure he's being directly relevant to the question and make sure his answer complies with the standing orders. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I certainly am. These days the modern Liberal Party is against business having a voice. It's quite interesting. It's quite perceptive. This is what Jeff Dimery had to say:

We don't have time to get distracted by fringe voices anymore, or to get lost in the 'gonnas'—

…   …   …

We have to work with what we know today.

Nuclear is kind of like looking for unicorns in the garden. Energy Australia have said that they're 'committed to Australia's clean energy transformation, reducing emissions as quickly and affordably as possible while maintaining system reliability'. Origin said, 'Our primary focus is adding more supply from these mature low-emissions technologies.' AGL said that nuclear energy was not part of the company's plans, and:

AGL's ambition to add 12 gigawatts of additional renewable and firming capacity by the end of 2035 does not include nuclear energy.

No-one serious takes the opposition's plan seriously. It was done on the back of a beer coaster without any costing, without any detail and without any substance. (Time expired)

Mr Wallace interjecting—

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

The member for Fisher and the member for Fairfax were continually interjecting during that answer. I request them to cease.