Richard Dowling (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It's always interesting when the coalition talk about energy in this place, particularly now they're in opposition. Maybe if they'd taken the topic more seriously when they were in government, they might not have any reason to complain about cost of energy today. After nearly a decade in government, they had no fewer than 23 energy policies—I think it's still counting—all of which were abandoned, leaving the Albanese government to pick up the pieces of the mess they left behind. In fact, under the coalition government, Australians suffered some of the highest price increases among industrialised economies around the world, and electricity prices increased by four times the OECD average in Australia. It would be nice if they could resolve where they actually sit on energy policy. As I said, there were 23 energy policies and it looks like they are still going. I'm trying to keep track of it. I picked up the Australian today to see if I could work out where they're at. There was an interesting column by the Australian's editor-at-large, Paul Kelly, titled 'Rejecting net zero will condemn Liberals to electoral oblivion'. The column starts:

The Liberal Party faces a moment of truth. Does it still aspire to be a governing party for Australia or is its future as a right-wing echo chamber for conservatives raging against progressive dominance on climate change?

It's a great question. I would recommend the column to anybody who hasn't read it.

By contrast, our government has listened to the experts and we've backed reliable, affordable and clean energy. Those are the three pillars. You can't just do one and you can't do two. You've got to meet all three pillars if you're serious about energy policy in this country. Importantly, we've provided the certainty to get investment flowing, to secure the jobs we need now and into the future. I am proud to say that Australia is producing a record amount of renewable electricity and our emissions now are lower than when our government took office.

While we've been focused on rolling out cleaner and more reliable energy to power our nation, it seems the coalition—at least some of them—remain committed to the most expensive form of energy: nuclear. So what do the experts say on this? We've heard a lot about the GenCost report from the CSIRO and AEMO—the Energy Market Operator. I will quote from the statement accompanying the release of that report:

… renewables remain the lowest-cost new-build electricity generation technology, while nuclear small modular reactors … are the most costly.

This is confirmation that the government's plan for a fairer, cleaner and more reliable energy system is the right plan for Australian households. The report found that, even accounting for the cost of firming and storage, renewable energy continues to be the lowest-cost new-build technology, underscored further by the falling cost of batteries.

We aren't just focused on renewables and storage. We are taking strong action to provide energy bill relief to Australian households and businesses. People complain that they are waiting for their discount on their power bill, but, unfortunately, the coalition has decided to oppose relief at every step of the way. It's quite ironic when you consider how much they've complained about energy prices. They had a chance to do something about it, but they have found a reason to oppose cost-of-living relief again and again. Despite this, we've provided three rounds of energy bill relief to homes and businesses to ease the burden of bills while doing the well-overdue work of reforming our economy to transition to a renewables led economy.

I would also encourage households to check what other resources there are to make sure they are getting the cheapest energy plan. The ACCC has reported that some 80 per cent of households could be paying less if they switched to a better deal. The government is determined to drive competition in the market, and there are some great resources out there. Energy.gov.au and the AER's Energy Made Easy website can help billpayers find the cheapest plan.

Another way we're helping households is through the Cheaper Home Batteries Program. Barely a month in, this program has seen 16,000 households take advantage of it and add storage to their homes as more Australians embrace renewable energy. The government's Cheaper Home Batteries Program will bring down the cost of a typical battery by around 30 per cent and will save households with existing rooftop solar up to $1,100 off their power bill every year.

To finish, I want to go back to the choice we face here, because we are debating Australia's energy future. Again, I think Paul Kelly summed it up nicely for the Liberal Party:

Does it still aspire to be a governing party for Australia or is its future as a right-wing echo chamber for conservatives raging against progressive dominance on climate change?

…   …   …

What do they want? Government-financed new coal-fired power stations, the sure road to electoral oblivion?

I could not agree more.