Ralph Babet (Victoria, United Australia Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. Given the member for New England has introduced a bill to repeal Australia's legislated net zero target and given the growing public discontent over skyrocketing energy prices, how does the government justify clinging to a policy that delivers neither environmental certainty nor energy affordability for Australian families and Australian businesses?

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Babet; I do sincerely thank you for this question. I reflect that it's not necessary for Senator Canavan or Senator Antic or Senator Nampijinpa Price to ask this question, because it's all one team over there. On the question of policy certainty around energy, on the approach that the Australian government takes on climate change, and on rebuilding and modernising our electricity system, there's complete unanimity across all of that show over there, who didn't learn the lesson in 2022 and certainly didn't learn the lesson in 2025.

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

Senator Ayres, I am going to draw you back to the question.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

President, respectfully, could I submit that the question does go to net zero and that the minister's wind-up, albeit quite a lengthy one, actually is about the policy position on net zero.

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

Thank you, Senator Wong. I did allow some leniency for Senator Ayres to get to the question. When he hadn't in what I thought was a timely manner, I drew the question to his attention. Minister Ayres.

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You were very lenient, President—very lenient indeed! And I was getting ahead of myself. Net zero, for Senator Babet's information—through you, President—is really a basic maths concept. I just want to set it out to provide a little bit of clarity for the team over there. We will have reached net zero emissions when the amount of greenhouse gas that we emit into the atmosphere is no more than what is removed. Senator Babet and Senator Cash have asked—I should have included you, Senator Cash, in the list of potential askers, the silly-billies over there on energy policy—

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australians are paying more.

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If you're inclined to interject, Senator Cash, perhaps you could explain how it is that you've been defying your leader and repudiating her authority already. On the first weekend of a sitting fortnight, you're up and about— (Time expired)

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

Senator Ayres, I remind you to direct your comments to the chair. Senator Babet, first supplementary?

Ralph Babet (Victoria, United Australia Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That was excellent; thank you for that. Minister, since the government adopted net zero, it has repeatedly promised to lower our energy bills. Since we got net zero, electricity has gone up by 31 per cent and gas has gone up by 40 per cent. Why hasn't net zero lowered our power bills as we were promised, and do you guarantee, Minister, that net zero is going to lower our bills in the future?

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One thing that I can guarantee, Senator Babet, is that the cheapest form of energy, the cheapest electricity system for Australia, if you're remotely interested in certainty, affordability and reliability, is renewables backed up by storage and backed up by gas. That's the truth of the matter.

That's why what's left of anyone with a sensible position coming from the opposition on the other side, I assume, is out there briefing journalists to say, 'We're desperately unhappy, actually, with the position that's been adopted by some of the characters over here.' The one thing you can guarantee will drive up electricity prices and drive away investment in Australian manufacturing capability in the energy system is the sort of policy incoherence we've seen over there.

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

Senator Babet, a second supplementary?

Ralph Babet (Victoria, United Australia Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, will your government rule out introducing additional taxes, carbon levies or price based mechanisms in the future to enforce this net zero compliance on Australian businesses and consumers?

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government's policy is very straightforward, and it's there for everybody to see. And it was endorsed strongly at the last election. And we've got a job to do to get about continuing to make sure that we're building more electricity generation and more transmission capability so that firms like Tomago Aluminium have got access to the low-priced electricity that they need. We've got a job to do: delivering for Australians. It's not the kind of complete policy incoherence that is dominating what has gone on over here. And you see what happened last week. The first hour of House of Representatives this morning really displayed what's on show—

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

I have a point of order on relevance to the question. Will you give your word that there's no increased taxes to the renewables that you're pushing?

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

Thank you, Senator Hanson. The minister is being relevant.

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There certainly won't be increased taxes. What there'll be is certainty—certainty about what our framework is. Unless the old 'Joyce and Boyce show' over here—all the bulls in the paddock over there—desperately try to undermine the poor old Leader of the Opposition— (Time expired)