Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister explain why 63,000 more Australian families are on hardship assistance arrangements for their power bills today than on the day Labor took office three years ago?

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

One of the things that my government has done, of course, is introduce energy bill relief—three lots of energy bill relief, all of which were opposed by those opposite. The latest element of energy began on 1 July and will extend until December 31. We are engaging, as we have, in the immediate support for people and for small business in energy bill relief.

The second thing that we have done as a government—and I'm asked about last term—was to intervene in the gas and coal market to put a cap on prices. That was a very significant intervention, and it's true that it wasn't something that we took to the 2022 election. But it was something that we did in partnership with a responsible Liberal government, led by Dominic Perrottet, in New South Wales. What that was about was making sure that the global spike in energy—the biggest global spike in energy prices and pressure that we had seen since the 1970s—was dealt with in a responsible way. We did that in New South Wales and in Queensland in particular.

Thirdly, yesterday there was a question from the member for Monash—her first question. I congratulate her on her election to the House of Representatives and on giving her first speech in this place. In her first question, she asked in part—not her fault—about permanent reductions in people's energy bills. That is precisely what batteries storing energy from solar panels on roofs does.

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

The Leader of the Opposition, on a point of order?

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The point is on relevance, Mr Speaker. The question was: 'Why are more families struggling?' In outlining these actions, the Prime Minister seems to be confirming that he caused this but is not explaining why families are struggling.

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

The Prime Minister is answering the question.

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

Notwithstanding the verballing in that point of order, the batteries program that began on 1 July has already been taken up by 18,000 households. What that will do, of course, isn't just benefit those households, but, because it takes pressure off the grid, it benefits all households. On 3 May, of course, there was an alternative to the government's plan. The alternative was the nuclear plan. The former leader went nowhere near any of the sites.

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

Order! The Prime Minister wasn't asked about alternative policies.

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

I wonder if the current leader takes up the opportunity to visit those nuclear reactor sites. (Time expired)