David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. There are less than five weeks left in 2025. When will Australian families receive your promised $275 reduction to their power bills?

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Order! We're not going to continue in this way.

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks to the Leader of the Nationals for his question. As we have made really clear and as the relevant experts—the Prime Minister read out a few of them a moment ago—have made really clear, Australia's best chance to put downward pressure on electricity prices is from introducing cleaner, cheaper, more renewable and more reliable energy sources. That, for a long time, wasn't an especially controversial proposition; even those opposite held that view. I'm asked this question by the Leader of the Nationals. The Leader of the Nationals said once before, when he had a more sensible position on this, that it was a good thing that renewables were coming on. He said:

The disruption that's happening with the technology, moving towards renewable energy, particularly in storage for base load, is exciting. I think it is a good thing.

He also said:

Economics will win out in the end and if base load power can be stored in particular, that's an exciting thing for the environment and everyone's hip pocket.

He says:

In my own electorate, people are self-sustaining through solar. The reality is that type of disruption is happening and that is an exciting thing not only for the environment, but for the hip pocket.

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

The Treasurer will pause. I want to hear from the member for Page.

Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The point of order is on relevance. It was a very tight question about the $275 promise from the Prime Minister to lower bills.

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

I understand the Treasurer is quoting the person who asked him the question. If you're asking a question, the person will probably open themselves up to comments for what they have said as well. I think that's a long-established tradition. If he's going to go into too many other alternative policies, he won't be able to do so, but he's halfway through and I'll make sure he's being directly relevant to the question he was asked by the Leader of the Nationals. But, if the Leader of the Nationals asked a question, ergo you're going to get some blowback or pushback from the person asking the question.

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm asked about power bills and I'm answering a question about power bills, reminding the House that the Leader of the Nationals once had a more sensible position on this. The upward pressure on electricity prices in our energy grid doesn't come from the new, cleaner, cheaper, renewable, reliable energy. It comes from the legacy of 22 failed energy policies which saw four gigawatts of energy come out of the grid on their watch.

Honourable members interjecting—

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

The Treasurer will pause. This yelling is not going to continue. Interjections are one thing, but the carry-on is way too much. Everyone in the gallery can see that, so just cool it. Interject, but don't yell. We're not having that. To assist the House, the Treasurer can remain directly relevant as well.

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The reason that there has been upward pressure on electricity prices is that the ageing parts of the grid are becoming less and less reliable as they get closer and closer to exiting the grid. That's why it is so dangerously irresponsible of those opposite to abandon net zero in a way that will push power prices up, not down, and will create serious investor uncertainty which will weaken our economy. If they cared about energy prices, they wouldn't be abandoning net zero and they wouldn't be turning their backs on renewable energy.

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

We've already had one point of order on relevance from the member for Page.

An honourable member interjecting—

Order! The minister on my right will cease interjecting. I want to hear from the Manager of Opposition Business, which will have to be on another point of order.

Alex Hawke (Mitchell, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We recognise this was the biggest hospital pass from the Prime Minister to the Treasurer that we've seen in a long time—

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

No, absolutely not. Resume your seat. You are now warned. I've been very lenient today. You simply can't just jump up and say whatever you feel like. I gave you the benefit of the doubt and you took advantage when I gave you that, so you are now warned. I don't want any more of that behaviour. Everyone will be shown respect when they raise their point of order on relevance, which I've been crystal clear on today. But to do that is not fair on everyone else. I think everyone can realise that. I want the Treasurer to be directly relevant to the question, and he has 36 seconds to go.

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As the Treasury and others have made very clear, if we want to see downward pressure on electricity prices, the best way to do that is through an orderly transition to net zero. That's why it beggars belief that those opposite have taken a different tack. Their policy would push power prices up, not down, and that is the view of a dozen energy retail CEOs and a number of other experts that we would quote if we had more time. As I said a moment ago, it was bad enough that they opposed our cost-of-living help. It was bad enough they opposed our tax cuts. It's worse now that they want to push power prices— (Time expired)