Libby Coker (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy—

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

No, no, no. The House is going to come to order. The member for Corangamite has waited patiently for her question. She will begin her question again when the House will hear her in silence.

Libby Coker (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. With the war in the Middle East impacting global fuel and energy markets, how has the Albanese Labor government taken action to protect Australians?

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

I thank the member for Corangamite for her question. I very much enjoyed visiting the Viva refinery in Geelong with her not that long ago, as I've done previously with the Deputy Prime Minister. They're both very proud of the workers there, as we are, and I thank the member for Corangamite for all the work she does.

The focus of the government since 28 February has been ensuring the supply of energy to Australia. I'm pleased with the actions we've taken, like increasing the amount of fuel available through releasing 20 per cent of the minimum stock obligation, changing the sulphur rules and changing the diesel rules. All this has been necessary in the face of the most volatile energy situation that the world has seen—certainly since I was born. This is the action the government has taken.

I'm pleased to inform the House, as we previously have, that any cancelled ships have been more than replaced. Today the latest advice to me is that there are now, as we speak, more than 55 ships on their way to Australia laden with fuel. We are expecting and have contracted 3.7 billion litres of fuel to arrive in Australia during the month of April. That is contracted, locked in and owned by Australian companies. This is a good thing.

We also need to prepare for any eventualities in this uncertain environment. That's why the government acted quickly after energy companies—oil companies and fuel companies—raised with us early last week the increasing volatility in the oil price and that it would be potentially too risky in the future to buy these cargoes. We acted, and, after being announced on Saturday, the legislation was introduced on Monday and was passed through the House of Representatives last night. I hope and expect it will pass through the Senate this evening. This gives Export Finance Australia the capacity to finance and work to ensure that those spot cargoes, which are available but are very expensive and very risky, come to Australia for Australian use. That's what this government has ensured through this action, and that's a very good thing.

The member for Corangamite also asked me about energy more broadly. Our work there hasn't stopped. Despite our focus on petrol and diesel, our work on electricity hasn't stopped, and nor have Australians stopped. I'm pleased to inform the House of a small milestone today. As of today, we have now passed 300,000 home batteries installed since 1 July—in fact, 300,188, with 1,508 of them in the electorate of Corangamite. Australians are storing their renewable energy for the night, reducing their use of gas and reducing the use of gas in our system more broadly, which is good for affordability and good for reliability as well, because that solar energy cannot be interrupted by any international dispute. That solar energy can be stored for the evening.

Australians are reducing their bills and their emissions. That's a policy that this government will keep implementing. Others have announced its abolition. We won't let that happen, because 300,000 Australian households have done it, and many more thousands of households are planning to do it in coming months. (Time expired)