Michael McCormack Riverina, National Party
2:35 pm
My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. Why hasn't anyone, anybody at all, in the Albanese government taken responsibility and apologised for failing to deliver the $275 energy bill reduction promised to Australian families?
Chris Bowen McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy
I'm very grateful to my honourable friend for the question and I'm particularly grateful for the interest shown by the National Party in my portfolio. To paraphrase my favourite Taylor: 'It's actually sweet, all the time you've spent on me. It's actually romantic.'
Alex Hawke Mitchell, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Industry and Innovation
Don't go using Taylor Swift.
Chris Bowen McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy
They're onto me! I won't be thinking about the National Party on Saturday even if they're thinking about me on Valentine's Day, because their obsession is just a little bit over the top. But I wish them all the best—here he is! What's the matter, Sport?
Honourable members interjecting—
Milton Dick Speaker
Order, members on my right! The member for Wannon is entitled to a point of order. The member for Barker is now warned and won't be here if he interjects one more time. The member for Wannon, on a point of order?
Dan Tehan Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction
It goes to relevance. It was a very specific and direct question, and I would like you to ask the minister to come back to it—especially the $275 part.
Milton Dick Speaker
I agree with the member for Wannon. But the problem I have with these types of questions is they are bordering on asking for an opinion. They are in that category under standing order 98(d)(i). I'm just trying to work within the standing orders, but these questions are very difficult for me to oversee because they're asking for an opinion or a reason, and it's very different to when you ask a fact or a figure question. That's all I'm saying. Yes, Valentine's Day was not part of the question, so—
Alex Hawke Mitchell, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Industry and Innovation
Nor was Taylor Swift.
Milton Dick Speaker
Thank goodness! So may the minister please just return to the question. He's had the preamble, and I'll ask him to return to the topic.
Chris Bowen McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy
Just pointing out, Mr Speaker, that I'm very grateful for the question and I'm grateful to the National Party—especially as the shadow minister hasn't bothered to ask me a question all year. But I get plenty of questions from the National Party—not from my 'part-time shadow minister, full-time deputy leader' candidate.
Opposition members interjecting—
Chris Bowen McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy
To deal with the question, as I said in my previous answer, energy prices have been high around the world, including in Australia. So we, as the government, decided to do something about it by providing energy bill relief opposed by those opposite. Our policy is to introduce more energy, with 7.7 gigawatts introduced to the grid—not promised plans or in development but connected to the grid and operating—as opposed to those opposite, particularly the member for Hume, who oversaw four gigawatts of dispatchable power leave the grid and one gigawatt come on. Our plan is more of the cheapest form of energy and the fastest to deploy—
David Littleproud Maranoa, National Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture
So why is it going up?
Chris Bowen McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy
Their plan has several parts: more of the most expensive form of energy—
Milton Dick Speaker
We've had one point of order on relevance. I'd like the member for Gippsland to state the point of order.
Darren Chester Gippsland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans’ Affairs
The minister is defying your ruling to be relevant to the question.
Milton Dick Speaker
Once again, I explained to the House the difficulty with these broad questions. They're not narrow questions; they're asking a broad question that the minister is giving a broad answer to. But it would assist the House if the minister could not necessarily refer to opposition policy, because he wasn't asked about opposition policy.
Chris Bowen McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy
I'm simply pointing out that, recognising energy prices are too high, there is an obligation on governments and oppositions to do something about it, but we have very different plans. Our plan is more energy, and we are getting more energy on—7.7 gigawatts connected, four gigawatts off, only one gigawatt on under them. The other part of their plan is to sweat coal fired power for longer. That is their plan. They're open about it. That is unreliable. That is a threat to reliability of the system.
Today, as we speak, we have 2.9 gigawatts of coal fired power broken down. One unit at Eraring, one unit at Vales Point, two units at Yallourn and three units at Gladstone are all not working. Some of those haven't been working for weeks. That is a threat to reliability. We want to replace that energy and get more new energy on. They want that to last for longer. That means higher bills. That means more pressure on Australian families. That means more pressure on Australian industry and more pressure on rural and regional Australians. We have a better plan.