George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

That's just not true. I didn't refuse to answer the question at all. In fact, I gave you a very full answer, Senator McAllister. I didn't confirm the assertion you made then and I don't confirm it now. But, because you raised the issue of electricity prices, I can tell you, as I tried to tell you yesterday, what the Australian government is doing to ensure that there is downward pressure on electricity prices. First of all, Senator McAllister, we won't be repeating the mistake that you made—not you personally, of course; I don't think you were in the Senate at the time. We won't be repeating the mistake that your side of politics made of allowing unregulated export from the Australian gas market so that overseas consumers were able to buy Australian gas at lower prices than Australian consumers. We won't be repeating that mistake, which is why the Prime Minister and the minister for energy, Mr Frydenberg, on 24 July announced the new mechanism that will enable them to regulate the export of gas.

Secondly, Senator McAllister, we have also taken action to ensure that electricity providers are transparent with their customers by making available to all electricity consumers a mechanism whereby they can easily and readily establish the best available plan for them on their electricity bill. That is something which was the direct result of the Prime Minister's own personal intervention with the CEOs of the retail electricity suppliers—something that once—

Senator Wong interjecting—

Senator Wong, let me take your interjection. It was a very productive cup of tea, Senator Wong, because it resulted in millions of Australians being put in a position to reduce their electricity bill as a result of the Prime Minister's intervention. (Time expired)