Josh Dolega (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Hume for providing me with the opportunity to highlight the strong record of the Albanese Labor government on energy, international diplomacy and leadership. Quite frankly, it's quite remarkable that the senator has chosen this topic, given the chaos and the divisions in the Liberal and National wannabe One Nation parties. This government has delivered the most significant uplift in Australia's international influence in a generation. In 2026, Australia, together with our Pacific family, will lead the global conversation on climate. We will preside over a landmark pre-COP, giving the world an opportunity to see Pacific climate impacts and solutions firsthand. This will give our Pacific family the global stage that they have always deserved, and this is real leadership from a friend. It stands in contrast to those opposite who, in 2015, belittled our Pacific family, who are at risk of rising sea levels. Still, in 2025, they continue to disrespect our Pacific family through scrapping net zero and through their ideological infatuation with coal-fired power stations. It isn't leadership; it's just, quite frankly, embarrassing.

Instead of delivering one-liners, this government is delivering a responsible energy plan that creates jobs, that gives business certainty, that cuts emissions and, most importantly, that delivers for our economy. Just last month, renewables supplied half of the national electricity market, while wholesale electricity prices fell by a third in the last quarter, a direct result of record renewable uptake and a reduced reliance on coal and gas. That's right; lower coal and gas output does mean lower prices. We've also delivered energy market reforms to protect consumers and force retailers to deliver fair deals. One in three households now have rooftop solar, with over four million installations nationwide. Since July, more than 120,000 households have had batteries installed under our program, boosting battery capacity nationwide by 50 per cent in just a few months. This is what happens when you listen to the science, when you cooperate and when you plan.

The Australian Energy Market Commission is clear: delaying renewable energy generation and transmission drives up prices. All credible experts agree that a renewable powered grid is cheaper than fossil fuels. But what's the cost of doing nothing? It's staggering. Clean Energy Council research from March warned that, if we keep relying on coal and gas and delay renewables, household power bills could soar by $449 every year by 2030. If a major coal-fired power station fails, that figure rises to over $600 annually. But it's not just households who pay the price. Treasury modelling shows that a disorderly transition could drain $1.2 trillion from the Australian economy by 2050. That's 1.2 trillion bucks gone—the cost of inaction.

The coalition asks, 'Why are bills so high?' The answer is, 'Because of them.' They created policy paralysis, investor uncertainty and great instability. They failed to land 23 different energy policies in their decade of neglect. They failed to protect Australia from global price shocks, which directly contributed to the dramatic price rises in 2022-23. They abandoned their own National Energy Guarantee because of internal climate wars, not because it didn't work. They ignored warnings that 24 of the nation's 28 coal-fired power stations were approaching end of life, and they've opposed our energy bill relief at every step. Worst of all, some of them just keep spinning reports, pushing narratives defined by conspiracy that fail to withstand even the most basic scrutiny. Yet they have the audacity to lecture this government on energy. We're not part time on net zero; we're all in, every single day. Those opposite are part time on facts—that's being generous—and they are full time on tearing each other apart. Experts have confirmed that the coalition's plan, if you can call it that, will not reduce power bills. Instead, their plan would raise bills, raise emissions and raise uncertainties. (Time expired)