Dai Le (Fowler, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, your government promised Australians that energy bills would go down. Yet, in my electorate, Reni's Bar and Grill has seen its quarterly gas bills jump from $7,000 two years ago, to $9,000 last year, and now to almost $12,000—not even counting electricity or insurance. Prime Minister, isn't it true that your government's approach to net zero is leaving almost zero dollars in the pockets of small businesses and families? And how exactly will the household battery rebate help them?

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

I very much appreciate the question from the member for Fowler, and I appreciate the Prime Minister allowing me to answer it, because the member for Fowler has previously said that the Cheaper Home Batteries Program is of little use in her electorate. In fact, the take-up in Fowler is more than double that of the electorate of Sydney when it comes to cheap home batteries, because people in the outer suburbs understand that cheaper home batteries are one way they can reduce their bills permanently.

Fowler, of course, has also been a beneficiary of this government's policies: 65,000 taxpayers have received an average tax cut of $2,160; 58,750 households have received energy bill relief; 23,000 people have had student debt relief through our HECS reductions; and there have been $5,525,000 in savings across PBS net threshold reductions, thanks to the Minister for Health and Ageing's policies.

These are real policies that support the people of Fowler, because this government knows that cost-of-living relief targeted at people who have been doing it tough in Fowler is necessary. The member for Fowler raises Reni's Bar and Grill in the City of Fairfield, a business I know very well. I know the owner very well. I know that the owner sits on Fairfield Council with the member for Fowler. Reni's a good fella, and I'm sure he is concerned.

The member for Fowler is very good at giving advice to other people about what they should do about the cost of living. She does that very regularly in the pages of newspapers and here—saying that other people should do more. The fact of the matter is, we all have responsibility when it comes to the cost of living, including councils. Some of us served on local government and, when we came here, decided to be full-time federal members of parliament. Other people have made other choices. The member for Fowler not so long ago wrote to the New South Wales government—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

wrote to the New South Wales government—I'm still going to say it!

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

Order! When the House comes to order we shall hear from the member for Fowler.

Dai Le (Fowler, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a point of order on relevance and, I think, professionalism as well. This was a question to the Prime Minister and, as the Minister for Climate Change and Energy knows, Reni's Bar and Grill is actually struggling to keep its business alive. Please address the question.

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

The Leader of the House.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Speaker, there was plenty of commentary in the question, which therefore opens up the relevance in the answer.

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

Yes, and the minister has mentioned the business directly. He mentioned the home batteries scheme. He's mentioned the numbers in the member's electorate directly. So, if you've raised these issues, the minister is going to be directly relevant to all of the things that are mentioned in the question. We've got to make sure his answer is directly relevant, and he's been so far in actually addressing the elements that you've mentioned. I want to make sure—

An honourable member interjecting—

Just let me finish this point of order. He'll be able to read comments or quotes, but, whatever he does, he must be directly relevant to the subject he was asked about. Does the member for Curtin still seek to make a point of order? I'd like to hear from her.

Kate Chaney (Curtin, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm seeking a ruling on whether the member for New England is breaching standing order 90 with the things that he was saying, which I don't want to repeat in front of the children upstairs here.

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

I couldn't hear because there was a lot of noise. But if the member for New England has made an unparliamentary remark or, as the standing order says, reflected on a member, I'm just going to remind the member for Curtin that you're entitled to raise that point. If the member for New England is reflecting on members, I'm going to ask him to cease and desist that. Perhaps to assist the House he'll remain silent for the remainder of this answer, and, if he persists, he won't be here. I warn him under the standing orders. I'm going to ask the minister to return to the question and make his comments or whatever he's doing directly relevant to the member for Fowler.

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

The member asked about cost of living in Fairfield City, which we both represent. I am reminded that the member for Fowler recently wrote to the New South Wales government, complaining about the entry fees for Prairiewood pool, for swimming lessons. The New South Wales government wrote back to her pointing out that those entry fees are set by Fairfield City Council, of which the honourable member is a councillor. We will continue to act on cost of living full-time with our full energy, not part-time.

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Order! There was far too much noise in that question and answer. I'm going to ask everyone to show a bit more restraint for the remainder of question time. It's been a big two weeks, but we've just got to make sure that everyone is showing respect, also in the language that's used, including the minister's answers and the interjections.