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

My question is for the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. Minister, in every budget speech delivered by your government before this week, there was a promise to lower the cost of energy through your net zero agenda. But the government has broken these promises, as electricity prices have risen by 40 per cent in recent years. This week's budget contained no such promise to lower the cost of energy. Indeed, energy prices were not mentioned at all.

Minister, for years you have told the Australian people that net zero will reduce power prices, but now you're waving the white flag. Why is the government continuing down the net zero path when your government won't even promise that it will lower energy prices?

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

If you ever wanted a demonstration of the fact that, in every way that matters, the coalition are acting as a coalition with One Nation, I think it is by listening to what Senator Canavan has to say. It is impressive, the extent to which he parrots and mimics what Senator Hanson has to say.

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

Anything to avoid talking about energy.

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

No, I'm happy to talk about energy. There are a number of points I'd make. The first is that there was actually quite a lot of discussion about energy in the budget and in the speech.

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

No there wasn't, not in the speech.

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

There are five packages in the budget, and one of them deals with fuel security and the context of that, which the Treasurer spoke about, is that it is the largest shock to energy markets the world has seen.

An honourable senator interjecting—

That is energy.

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

Senator Wong, please resume your seat. Senator Canavan?

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

President, on relevance, the question went to energy prices, not fuel security. I'd ask the minister to come back to the question.

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

You also referenced speeches and other things that have occurred, so I think the minister is being relevant and I will continue to listen carefully.

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

I'll make a couple of points. The government is—

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

The minister sat down because, again, there are interjections. Minister, please continue.

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

The first point I'd make is that one of the five packages in the budget—and the context of the budget that the Treasurer spoke at length about was the state of global energy markets and the way that has impacted on Australia. That impacts upon Australia in a number of ways, including through higher energy prices. The consequences of these shocks to global markets are ricocheting throughout our economy, and the Treasurer was upfront about that. That is what is driving, in great part, the challenges through supply chains of higher costs. It is contributing to inflation— (Time expired)

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

Senator Canavan, first supplementary?

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

Minister, this week's budget reveals that the government is spending another $18 billion of taxpayers' money on its failing net zero agenda. We know that net zero isn't reducing the cost of living for Australians. Minister, why did the government choose to spend another $18 billion on a failed energy policy?

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

The failed energy policy was the one you contributed to wrecking. That was in the government of which you were a part—for some time a cabinet minister and for some time not—where you had four gigawatts exit the system and one gigawatt come in, and, as you know, that creates problems with both price and supply. The reality is that 24 of the nation's 28 ageing coal-fired power stations announced they were closing while you were on this side of the chamber, and you didn't do anything about working out where else supply would come from. What you hoped was that the private sector would invest—it had in the past—and it was very clear that the private sector wouldn't. What I would also say is, if you cared about price, why is it that you opposed energy rebates for Australian businesses and Australian households? Why is it that you opposed them?

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

What are you going to do about it?

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

You're backing it in! You're backing in your opposition to those rebates. (Time expired)

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

Senator Canavan, second supplementary?

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

Minister, the government had promised that net zero would unleash mining investment in critical minerals, yet your own budget documents show that mining investment growth will slump to zero by 2027-28. If net zero is working, why aren't we getting investment in mining?

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

Senator, what I would say to you is that you are a demonstration of the way in which ideology, in short—

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Don't reflect on the senator!

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

We had coal-fired power stations exiting with no plan for more supply. No plan for more—

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

Senator Canavan?

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

I'll take two points of order, on relevance and on personal reflection. The minister was asked about mining—

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

I'm sorry, Senator Canavan; I can't hear you.

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

I don't think that was my fault.

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

Please start again.

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

I have two points of order, on relevance and personal reflection. The minister was asked about mining investment and went straight to reflecting on me. I think the people who work in mining—

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

Thank you, Senator Canavan.

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

deserve an answer about why investment is going to zero.

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

Minister Ayres, you will withdraw that comment.

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

I withdraw.

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

Can he repeat it?

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

Senator Canavan, I have checked with the Clerk, but it is also my view there was no personal reflection, and the minister is being relevant to your question. I would invite the minister to continue—to be heard in silence.

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

Senator, I wasn't intending it as a personal reflection. It's an observation about the way in which the views of One Nation and parts of the National Party have ensured that we saw power exiting the system with no plan to bring more power into the system. When we came to government, that was the situation with which we were dealing. It was brought about because of an ideological position that you and others—led, in many ways, by Senator Hanson—have expressed, which is: you like only some forms of energy, not others, and you don't recognise— (Time expired)