MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE
Mr LAXALE (Bennelong) (15:39): It's quite something to keep on coming into this place and seeing motions like this from the Liberals and the Nationals. Only yesterday in another place, up in the Federation Chamber, the Chief Opposition Whip was trying to push the great myth that the Liberals are the better economic managers. That was in the face of the fact that they delivered zero budget surpluses in their nine long years in government.
They were none from nine, when they promised to deliver one every year. And here today, in the House, they're doing the same with energy. The audacity they have to attack this government about credible energy policy when they couldn't land one in their nine long years is quite something.
I wish I had the confidence of a Liberal MP in opposition, because they just keep on doing it. This motion here, once again today, shows their incredible ability to totally ignore their record from their nine long years in government. These are the same people who spent their time in government with no credible energy policy and who spent all that time ignoring expert advice—ignoring advice that 90 per cent of all coal-fired power would close by 2035.
They did nothing to respond to that advice. Let's be clear: their plans failed to invest in new energy, they failed to plan for the long term and they failed to listen to the experts. And they come in here—so there's their audacity.
But then there's the hypocrisy of it too because, when this Labor government acted to provide energy relief to Australians and Australian small businesses, those opposite voted against it. Three rounds of energy bill relief for homes and small businesses—they voted against it in 2022. Our action to cap coal and gas prices and to enforce an industry code of conduct for the first time—they voted against it in 2022.
When it comes to energy policy the contrast between the Liberals, the Nationals and Labor couldn't be more stark. We listen to the experts on energy. We have a plan to overcome the challenges that this sector is facing and, importantly, we are delivering on it.
When Labor came to government wholesale power prices—we heard it today from the minister—were over $300 per megawatt hour. Today they're under $100 per megawatt hour. Over 10 million households and one million small businesses received energy bill relief that directly reduced the price of their power bills.
When it comes to adding new energy to the grid—something we desperately need to do—we're delivering the cheapest form of new energy as fast as we can. Since coming to government we've approved over 100 renewable energy projects. That's enough to generate energy to power every home in Australia with the cheapest form of new energy, and it will reduce emissions to boot.
The 100 projects will reduce over 53 million tonnes of CO2 each year, which is the equivalent of taking 16.7 million passenger cars off the road. Unlike those opposite, who ignored all that advice, our plan is clear. We'll deliver new power to the grid and we'll choose the cheapest and cleanest form of new power for every Australian.
We have a 2030 target of 82 per cent renewable energy. To get there our Capacity Investment Scheme is unlocking 32 gigawatts of renewable energy. Let's not forget that, when they were in government, four gigawatts of energy left the system and only one gigawatt came in.
We're underwriting 32 gigawatts of new renewable energy to go into the system because we know our industry needs it. We're rewiring the nation to deliver that energy where it's needed and we're rolling out household assistance too, with the Cheaper Home Batteries Program being wildly successful—over 100,000 batteries since July. Households who couple that battery with a new solar system save up to $2,300 a year.
The opposition's energy plan is pure fantasy. They don't have a plan for renewables, they fantasise about a plan for coal but don't deliver and they're now hanging their hat on nuclear once again, which Australians rejected.