Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move a motion relating to the hours of meeting and routine of business for today.

Leave not granted.

Pursuant to contingent notice standing in the name of Senator Wong, I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent me moving a motion to provide for the consideration of a motion relating to the hours of meeting and routine of business immediately.

I would like to begin by thanking the Senate for coming back and having this urgent sitting of the Senate so soon after we adjourned for the year. It is important that the Senate consider the bills that have been passed by the House of Representatives today and that we deal with this today. It is no surprise that those opposite are using a procedural motion to avoid debating these bills today. These bills are about saving jobs—

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, please resume your seat. Senator Hanon-Young?

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator McKenzie! I've got a senator on her feet with a point of order.

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order, Madam President: even with the microphone on, I couldn't hear the minister speaking.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Hanson-Young. It was my intention to call the senators to order. I would ask that this debate be heard in silence.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, President. These bills that come before the Senate as urgent bills that must be dealt with today are about saving Australian industry and business. They're about saving Australian manufacturing. They're about saving Australian—

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I just asked the minister to sit and asked senators that the debate be heard in silence, and the minute the minister was called back to her feet the interjections started. They are disorderly and disrespectful.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, President. They're about supporting cost-of-living pressures for Australian families, for households and for individuals who are struggling under these increases in the cost of energy.

The government has been working on this—a solution for some of these cost increases—for the last couple of months.

Opposition senators interjecting—

After a wasted decade—we hear the laughter over there. The reason we are here dealing with this is an illegal invasion of Ukraine and 10 years of dysfunction and denial and the failure of those opposite on energy policy. They are the two reasons we are here.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Minister Gallagher, please resume your seat.

Thank you, Senator Canavan and Senator Watt. Calling out across the chamber is disorderly. We have a minister on her feet. I'm going to ask you again to listen.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I hear those over there laughing, but last Friday the Prime Minister struck an agreement with every state and territory government in Australia, with governments of different political persuasions, governments that are responsible for dealing with issues as they arise, who understand the pressure that businesses, industry and households are under and who see the urgency behind these reforms that we are bringing forward. They are from all sides of politics. They see it. And here we have this mob over here on the wrong side of history, and we will remember this. Don't you forget: we will remember this. Your names will be recorded in Hansardeach and every one of you who are going to stand in the way of support for industry, support for jobs, support for small business and support for households. Let us not forget.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Gallagher, please resume your seat. Once again, I've had to call the Senate to order. I would ask that the senator be heard in respectful silence. Senator, please continue.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What you're seeing from this government, responding through this legislative reform package today, is a responsible government that has sat down and worked across the table with industry, with different stakeholders and with state and territory governments to provide some urgent solutions with a longer-term reform package, working across the parliament, talking to different senators and members of parliament about the right thing to do to bring forward this package, and you over there don't even want to debate it. You're not even going to give leave for us to bring this bill forward to debate it today.

We're going to see this. I can predict that over the next few hours we are going to have all the process arguments in the world raised. We're going to have, 'Oh, we didn't get this and we didn't get that.' But they will avoid the fact that, when they vote in opposition to this bill, they will be voting for higher power prices and for no cost-of-living relief for households and for business. That is what you will be voting for if you choose to continue on this path today.

This is an urgent sitting. It is urgent to deal with this to avoid the big price increases. Twenty-two failed energy policies—that is your record, and now you're going to try and stop us implementing one here today. That is what you're all about: opposition and refusing to deal with the challenges.

Head in the sand, Senator McGrath—that's where you like it. Avoid the issues. Don't deal with them. Don't support households. Don't support industry. don't support business. That is the position that you are taking today.

Well, over here we want to work with the parliament. We want to provide solutions. We want to work with Australian businesses and manufacturers. We want to take the pressure off households. We want to deal with the challenges that we're seeing—the energy crisis that we inherited from you—and you can't hide and avoid this decision today. No matter how hard you try, you are going to vote, and you're going to be on the wrong side of history.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Colleagues, I hope Senator Gallagher gets the irony of the statement she just made today in the Senate given that, when in opposition, this was one of Senator Gallagher's favourite quotes: 'The Senate must stand up for itself.' I thought that's what you were all doing. 'It cannot become a patsy of the government.' Guess why we're here today, people. It's literally because of those on that side of the chamber and the Australian Greens—a patsy for the government. But it gets better, colleagues: 'It'—the Senate—'is meant to be here as a check on executive power.' The irony of the motion today! 'That is the role that we are asked to do.' But it gets worse, because then Senator Gallagher talks about our job descriptions: 'To fulfil our role in this place we must stand up for proper process.' Oh, proper process! And then she finishes it off with this: 'We cannot continue to have this chamber used as a rubber stamp for the government.' Bang! At 4.30 today, we will be a rubber stamp for this government.

You come in here seeking to move a motion that the hours of meeting be from 1 pm until adjournment. And then, colleagues, you read further. It says 'until adjournment. I think: 'Well, that's fair enough. We could sit until midnight.'

And then you get to part (c), Senator Colbeck: 'if, by 4.30 pm, consideration of the bill has not concluded'. Well, let me tell you: consideration of this bill will not have concluded, because on this side of the chamber all of my colleagues would like to speak. Senator Scarr wants to speak. Senator Colbeck wants to speak. Senator Henderson wants to speak. And guess what? They can't, because you are gagging debate on this particular bill. We need to get into committee stage as soon as possible.

Honourable senators interjecting —

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cash, please resume your seat. Once again, the interjections are disorderly. I would ask that Senator Cash be heard in silence.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have to say, again: in Senator Gallagher's comments, she referred to the Senate being here today to consider the bill. Well, the last time I checked, consideration of a bill meant you don't get it only 24 hours beforehand—

An opposition senator: Not even that!

We got it nine hours beforehand. This is one of the greatest interventions in the energy market that this country has ever seen, and there is little to no detail. We are not even given the courtesy of being able to consider this bill.

But, colleagues, it actually gets even more ironic, because Senator Gallagher has said, 'We have worked with industry.' Well, can I tell you, if you have worked with industry, then you have a major problem, because this is what industry—those who know, the experts—say about this piece of disastrous legislation: 'This is the single worst piece of energy policy I have seen anywhere in the world in almost 20 years.' That's what industry says about this bill. 'The government's proposed gas market legislation risks the very foundations of the east coast energy grid and all who use it.' That is the Australian taxpayer—mums and dads out there. That is Australians who use the energy market. And you are about to decimate it. But it gets worse. So much for working with industry, because they also say this: 'The damage has already started'—Bowen's blackouts are on the way—'nearly all gas contracting has shrivelled up in the last few days.'

Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

President, on a point of order: all comments should go through the chair, and it would be helpful if the senator were to give people from the other place their correct titles.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Polley.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Order! The interjections that are being made are very loud, and so loud that it is very difficult to hear Senator Cash. Please continue, Senator Cash.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd be delighted to use the Prime Minister's proper title, because guess what the Prime Minister said this morning in the House of Representatives, when he spoke to this? He said, 'This is the government's plan for energy price relief.' You've got to be kidding me! But he can't even mention the words '$275', which you said 97 times before the election. But you cannot bring yourselves now to mention the words '$275'.

Let's see which one of you—Senator Gallagher, I believe it's going to be you—is going to go through how, buried in the announcement of this bill, is that energy prices are now forecast by the government to increase by an extra six per cent in 2023-24. And it gets worse, because, accordingly, on the government's own modelling, bills will still increase by $407 in 2023-24 and a cumulative $702 across the next two financial years. Guess what? That is in your own legislation. The reason you're gagging it is that you don't want to talk about it. This is a complete affront to the processes in the Senate. Quite frankly, going forward the failure of the energy market will be on your heads.

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak to this motion for the suspension of standing orders today. The Australian Greens will be supporting this hours motion. We think it is absolutely important that this place does its job. The sheer hypocrisy of the mob on that side complaining about process, complaining about integrity, complaining that you had to rock up to work and do something! When was it? It was only a few years ago when, at this exact time, rather than be here while the country burnt, the Prime Minister was off having a bloody holiday!

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKenzie, what's the point of order?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson-Young, I have not called you back to your feet.

Senator McGrath, seriously! Your interjections particularly have been incredibly disorderly and disrespectful. You have constantly called out when I've called the Senate to order. I can barely hear Senator Hanson-Young particularly because of your interjections. She has the right to be heard in silence, and that's what I am asking senators to do.

Senator Colbeck, it is not okay to speak out when I'm calling the Senate to order. Senator Hanson-Young, please continue.

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Only a few years ago, at this exact time of year, rather than pulling the country together, we know the former Prime Minister, Mr Morrison, was off having a holiday instead of working. Here we are. We've been asked today to come back and pass an important piece of legislation that will relieve pressure for everyday Australians, and this mob over here want to complain. They are squawking like seagulls over here.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson-Young, please resume your seat. Senator Shoebridge?

David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order, President: I really cannot hear Senator Hanson-Young's contribution over the opposition. Who would have thought a policy that—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Shoebridge, you've made your point of order. I will call senators once again to listen in respectful silence.

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's such irony from the opposition over here to squawk like seagulls about process, about integrity and about the honour of the parliament when the bloke who couldn't hold a hose decided secretly to nominate himself as minister after minister after minister.

So let's actually come back to the point of what we are here to do today. We are here to relieve the pressure on everyday Australians, because power bills are rising, because cost of living is rising and because the big companies—the big coal and the big gas corporations—have been ripping off Australians for years. Greed, greed, greed! Here we are trying to do something about it. We are trying to make sure that everyday Australians can actually start to get an idea of what this government can do to help relieve the pressure, to put in place a plan, to bring down power bills and to bring down pollution while we're at it. The big corporations—the big gas and coal corporations—are crying poor. I know why the opposition are squawking like seagulls. It's because they are the mouthpieces of the big coal and gas companies. What are we hearing from them? 'Oh, it's all too hard. It's all too hard!' Well, cry me a river. These are the very corporations that have been profiteering off the pain of everyday Australians and profiteering, may I say, off the bloodshed of the war in Ukraine, an illegal war. That is what these companies have been doing. Rather than standing up for everyday people, you have this mob in here crying poor and squawking. When are these companies going to be held to account? For a decade, the opposition—the Liberal and National parties under various leaderships—could do nothing to rein them in, nothing to put in place a plan to reduce pollution and nothing to reduce power bills.

Everyday people in this country know that the cheapest and the cleanest form of power is renewables, and they want the government to get on and help them. That is why we have worked hard to negotiate to get some outcomes on this bill. It's not perfect. Of course, it's not perfect. This is all about negotiation and compromise. We will keep the government's feet to the fire. You know what really should be going on? These big corporations should be paying their fair share of tax. There should be a windfall tax on them because greed, greed, greed off the back of people's misery is their modus operandi and it is time that came to an end.

Today, we have the—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson-Young, please resume your seat.

Order, Senator McKim! I have a senator on his feet. Senator Canavan?

Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a point of order on relevance, Madam President. This motion is about the hours of the day. I know Senator Hanson-Young is losing her cool here, but she is starting to talk about issues that have nothing do with the legislation that is before us today or this motion. It's completely irrelevant.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Please continue, Senator Hanson-Young.

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The biggest shill for the gas and the coal industry in this place, of course, is Senator Canavan over here. No wonder he's squawking, because his mates in the coal industry are saying: 'You've got to stand up for us because we might make less money. We might actually be held to account for once.' That's what's going on. There is no bigger supporter for coal and the greed of the coal industry than Senator Canavan

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator McKenzie. Senator McAllister.

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This parliament has a big job to do today, because the opportunity today is to debate the legislation that will underpin the government's energy price relief plan. I don't know who needs to hear it in this chamber, but we have a serious challenge ahead of us. The illegal invasion of Ukraine has produced a global energy crisis the likes of which we haven't seen for 50 years. It may suit others to ignore that or to pretend that that is not the case, but actually it's a pretty significant global event. We're not immune to the consequences of those events, and it's for that reason that we have been working in a methodical way through the issues that they present to Australian households and particularly to Australian manufacturers—who, if any of you had been listening, have been pointing out this problem to us and to you and asking for a response.

Of course, the Liberals' and Nationals' engagement with this issue is entirely disappointing but entirely predictable, because actually they had 10 years to come up with an energy policy—10 years to grapple with the very significant technological and economic changes that were confronting our energy sector. And what did they do with those 10 years? They certainly didn't land an energy policy at any point in that period. They did two things. These people have never seen an issue that they weren't willing to politicise or to wield for partisan point-making. There is no issue that they're not willing to use for narrow partisan advantage. Every time over the last decade and in this new parliament that the opportunity to act in the national interest has been presented, they have chosen not to do so. They have chosen petty, narrow electoral interest, whipping up fear and picking fights instead of solving problems.

The opportunity is here today to solve some problems and to engage with the debate. We could be debating it now. We could have started some 30 minutes ago. But we haven't done so, because you have chosen to debate the process instead of to debate the issues. We say: let's get on with it., because what's required here is actually a sensible debate about the issues that confront us. You can choose to deal yourselves out of that debate. You can choose to proceed in the way that you have so far by refusing to engage, by denying that issues exist and by hiding the presence of issues from the public, as your minister did prior to the last election, hiding the increase to power prices. It's not this government's approach. This is a government that's actually willing to work with state and territory premiers and chief ministers. It's a government that's actually been willing to convene meetings of the energy ministers five times since the election. What did Minister Keane, a Liberal minister from New South Wales, say about that? He observed that it was pretty novel and they achieved more in that first meeting than they had in the previous four years. You know why? It's because the approach taken by this government is one that actually seeks to solve public policy problems rather than to pick fights to occupy media space. It's a different approach. I accept that. It's a different approach to the one that you all adopted when you were last in government. But it is an approach that is actually designed to operate in the national interest rather than in partisan interest.

So you have a choice today, and everyone in this chamber has a choice today. You can vote for price relief—you can vote for a set of arrangements that will achieve an orderly market or you can obstruct. All the evidence so far is that you will continue to obstruct. (Time expired)

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One Nation will be opposing the government on this procedural motion because we believe in the need for security and scrutiny. Energy primacy is fundamental to a modern society. In the last 170 years, since the Industrial Revolution really started moving, energy prices did one thing relentlessly: decreased. Real energy prices have ever decreased. That enabled dramatic improvements in the standard of living.

Since 1996, we have artificially increased energy prices in this country, and that has reversed human progress. Australia has a competitive advantage in wonderful coal and gas—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Roberts. Under the standing orders, the time for debate on this motion has expired. The question is that the motion, as moved by Senator Gallagher, that we suspend standing orders be agreed to.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That a motion relating to the hours of meeting and routine of business may be moved immediately.

Question agreed to.

I move:

That today—

(a) the hours of meeting be 1 pm till adjournment;

(b) the routine of business be consideration of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Energy Price Relief Plan) Bill 2022 only;

(c) if, by 4.30 pm, consideration of the bill has not concluded, the questions on all remaining stages be put without debate;

(d) paragraph (c) operate as a limitation of debate under standing order 142;

(e) divisions may take place after 4.30 pm for the purposes of the bill; and

(f) the Senate adjourn without debate on the motion of a minister.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move an amendment to the government's routine of business motion, as circulated in the chamber.

Leave granted.

Given the time, I won't speak to the amendment; I will merely move:

At the end of the motion, add:

"That the Senate—

(1) Notes:

a) the Albanese Labor Government's Energy Price Relief Plan is nothing more than policy on the run, has been described by energy experts as the "single worst piece of energy policy" seen anywhere in the last two decades, and represents yet another broken promise;

b) the Coalition supports cost of living relief measures that assist Australians with skyrocketing energy prices, but the Albanese Labor Government's plan will not deliver a cent of relief to struggling Australians and businesses until early 2023;

c) the answer to the Albanese Labor Government's energy crisis is more supply and getting more gas into Australia's domestic market will reduce electricity prices and inflation, but the Government is doing the exact opposite; and

d) the failure of the Albanese Labor Government to provide any immediate cost of living relief in the October Budget, which left the average Australian household at least $2,000 worse off at Christmas time.

(2) Calls on the Government to split the bill so Australians can have certainty that they will receive the relief they deserve from skyrocketing energy prices but also ensure that the legislative framework that regulates the gas market can be properly scrutinised by the Senate.

(3) Calls on the Minister representing the Treasurer to table any quantitative analysis, modelling outputs or reports, including in draft form, in relation to the impact of the Government's Energy Price Relief Plan on energy markets and wholesale and retail energy prices or bills prior to the second reading of the bill."

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the amendment, as circulated and moved by Senator Cash, to the hours motion be agreed to.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the motion as moved by Senator Gallagher be agreed to.