ADJOURNMENT

Mr SMALL (Forrest) (13:08): In my view, the imperative to scrap net zero is that the policies that are flowing from commitment are economically catastrophic. In my seat of Forrest, we'd become ground zero for Labor's net zero nonsense. We can't criticise the terrible policies of Labor's net zero agenda while supporting the same goal, because we don't have a credible alternative plan.

Doing so is like being committed to climbing a mountain, criticising the path to the summit but having no map for an alternative path—ultimately you are still committed to arriving at the same mad summit no matter the cost. People have put to me that, because my seat was targeted by the teal movement last election, I should be a real progressive on this, but frankly that's utter nonsense.

I was elected because my electorate is becoming ground zero for the damaging impacts of the government's net zero agenda, and locals could see that I'd stand up for them against being steamrolled by Canberra. From fighting the proposal to develop offshore wind in our pristine Geographe Bay—which is a peculiar form of economic madness for a state with as many sources of cheap, clean and consistent energy as Western Australia—to giving voice to the local small businesses being whacked by huge energy price increases, I managed to survive the National-Liberal wipe-out by being a strong and independently-minded leader for my electorate.

If opposing the policies of higher prices and higher taxes on everything, under the badge of net zero, costs me my political future, then that is a hill that I will die on. I stood for parliament because I wanted to help shape a bolder, braver and more bountiful nation, and Labor's policies are undermining all three by enforcing a relative energy poverty on the Australian people.

In WA, residential consumers have been shielded from the true cost of their power and energy for decades, but our small businesses are the canaries in the coalmine, which is an ironic expression, given how hell-bent the Labor Party are on closing coalmines. The Myalup strip produces more than 10 per cent of the state's vegetables and the producers there have experienced 50 per cent increases in their power bills from one contract to the next.

One particular farmer asked me where he'd find the extra $400,000 a year to pay for the power price hike. Given the reputation that Coles and Woolworths have for squeezing farmers, I don't think it's an unreasonable question. It's now likely he'll sell the farm, which is multigenerational, to the next international property developer that comes sniffing, further undermining our food security.

Bannister Downs is an iconic WA dairy business that has grown into a successful internationally-exporting business under Sue Daubney's leadership, and yet she stood up at the recent WA dairy conference and told the room that her power bills have doubled since 2022. Who do you think pays for these farmers' power price hikes? In a cost-of-living crisis, it's imperative that the Liberal Party explains to voters that the Labor Party's policies are making even their food more expensive.

I don't recall anyone suggesting more expensive food for all Australians being a great election-winning strategy, and yet this is the madness that remaining subscribed to Labor's net zero requires. Almost every business on the planet has people costs, energy costs and compliance costs. We want higher people costs in Australia because we want well-paid and meaningful jobs for Australians.

But, if we also have higher and higher energy costs, as well as more and more regulatory red tape and cost burden, how on earth can our businesses compete internationally? Albanese's Future Made in Australia is seeing nothing built in our country without taxpayer subsidies, and this must end if we are to stop robbing the next generation of their prosperity to pay for our debt.

It isn't the Australian way to give your credit card to your kids for them to pay, and yet that is exactly what this prime minister is doing. In 2021, I was quoted in the Australian as saying: 'However, we must not be conned into the smoke and mirrors of a grandiose target without a plan.' In the years since, it has become clear to me that the net zero agenda is a con and that no realistic plan has been put forward to support it, because this government cannot answer the one simple question that I think Australians deserve an answer to how much will this cost.

How much will Labor's net zero agenda actually cost Australian taxpayers? If we can't convince Australians that lower prices for literally everything from food to housing isn't a good thing for our economy and national prosperity then, in my view, we have failed the Australian people, because, as I say, it isn't the Australian way to give your credit card bill to your kids to pay, and yet that is exactly what this Prime Minister is doing.