Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. What is the total cost to taxpayers of the Albanese government's expensive and reckless renewables-only energy policy?

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

That's a pretty broad question when it comes to renewable energy, and the vast majority of investment in renewable energy will come from the private sector. That's the fact. We do have government schemes to support renewable energy, most notably the Capacity Investment Scheme, which is a very successful scheme. The cost is commercial in confidence.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

This opposition to commercial in confidence is a relatively recent phenomenon for those opposite, because the House has heard me talk before about the previous minister's, the member for Hume's, UNGI scheme.

Government members interjecting—

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

Order! The Minister for Defence Industry and the minister for infrastructure will pause so I can hear from the honourable member for—

And the member for Hume will pause. I'm just going to wait. Everyone doesn't need to be interjected on when they just approach the dispatch box. After that is a different matter. The member for Wannon now has the call on a point of order.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question was very, very specific. It asked about the total cost of your renewables scheme, and so commercial in confidence doesn't come into it.

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

The member for Wannon is correct. It was a very tight question. Obviously, he would like a figure. He would like a number. The person who asked—

Honourable members interjecting—

I get it, but, as I will tell again, under the standing orders, I can't compel the minister. I wish I could, but I can't compel him to do that. Every Speaker in modern times has dealt with that issue as well. What I will say to the minister is he won't be able to talk about the opposition, because he wasn't asked about the opposition. If he is to give an answer regarding the figures he was asked about and do a compare and contrast, that's, of course, allowed, as has always been the case. Minister, I'm asking you to be directly relevant to the question, because you weren't asked about opposition policy.

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

Thanks, indeed, Mr Speaker. I'm comparing the Capacity Investment Scheme under this government, which replaced the underwriting new generation scheme of the previous government, and I've indicated that the Capacity Investment Scheme is commercial in confidence. The Underwriting New Generation Investment scheme, masterminded by the member for Hume—when he was asked 'what are the costs?', the member for Hume said, 'Well, look, these discussions are commercial in confidence.' So it is not unprecedented for government policies and expenditure to be commercial in confidence. Indeed, my shadow minister, the member for Wannon, was responsible for various policies including Australian Naval Infrastructure Pty LTD supporting shipbuilding infrastructure. When you look at the budget to find out how much that cost, it says, 'The expenditure for this measure is not for publication due to commercial in confidence provisions.'

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

I think I understand the point that you've made. You've made that, now.

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

Indeed.

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

So I'm bringing you back to the question because you'll be defying me if you continue to talk about the opposition.

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

I think we've made the point that commercial in confidence is not a new thing. It is not a new principle. It is one that is well established. And the vast majority of investment in the cheapest form of renewable energy will come from the private sector. That's why we've seen 7.7 gigawatts added to the grid since May 2022, which is equivalent to the demand in the evening of all of the state of Victoria since 2022, compared to the four gigawatts which left the grid under the previous government, and only one gigawatt came on.