MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE

Ms THWAITES (Jagajaga) (15:23): The Australian Labor Party is the party of workers, and we will always back Australian manufacturing and Australian jobs. Of course, this is a very distressing time for workers affected at Whyalla, and we absolutely stand with them. But we will not be lectured by those opposite on support for workers, not with their track record.

Our message to the people of Whyalla is that we will be working with them. We will be working with the South Australian government towards outcomes that support both the city and the region. We are supporting workers now while creating the conditions for a new owner to invest in a stronger, more sustainable future for Whyalla and Australian steelmaking, and we will be there every step of the way with these workers.

But those opposite are never straight with workers. They buy into conspiracy theories rather than outcomes. They take cheap shots rather than back workers.

They're never on the side of workers. We certainly will not be lectured by those opposite about our commitment to Australian manufacturing. Those opposite, when in government, sat by when then treasurer Joe Hockey goaded car manufacturers to leave the country, with, when they left, devastating outcomes for workers in South Australia and in my home state of Victoria.

Those opposite sat on their hands while those manufacturers left this country. They goaded them to leave. It is absolutely galling that at this moment those opposite would seek to create an ideological fight over the future of workers in South Australia, who this government is backing.

It is a reality that, after a decade of delay, dysfunction and denial, the Albanese government is getting on with rebuilding Australia's energy grid with the lowest-cost form of energy, renewable energy. We acknowledge the reality that our coal-fired power stations are ageing and they are becoming increasingly unreliable. Again, those opposite ignored this for a decade, and Australian energy users have been paying the price.

As a government we are working towards cheaper, cleaner energy in our system—a better deal for households. We're focused on the long-term changes that permanently cut bills, make the system fairer and keep the lights on. And we are headed in the right direction.

Last year we saw a record number of renewable projects given the green light and millions of Australians benefiting from a cleaner, more reliable electricity grid that will lower energy bills for good. We are seeing households vote with their feet as they realise the benefits of cheaper, cleaner, renewable energy for them. Australia has the highest uptake of rooftop solar in the world.

Since July last year, more than 540,000 Australian households and businesses have installed batteries through the government's Cheaper Home Batteries Program. I get to visit lots of these households and talk to the people who have installed a battery. They're quick to show me their apps and to explain how they've been able to take back control of their energy use and lower their power bills.

I've met with Glen and Amanda from Templestowe, in the member for Menzies's electorate, a retired couple who are making significant savings on their electricity bills through their rooftop solar and their battery. I've met with John from Mill Park, in the member for Scullin's electorate. John has an electric vehicle, a home charger and solar panels, and he's in credit on his power bill.

He couldn't speak more highly of the difference that rooftop solar and a battery are making to him. I've met with Elizabeth and Eric from Cranbourne, in the member for Holt's electorate, pensioners who are benefiting from greater energy independence and lower bills. Elizabeth and Eric are among more than 2,400 households in Holt that have installed a cheaper home battery.

Again, they've told me it's given them greater control over their energy bills and greater confidence that they're doing their bit as part of our bid for a cleaner future. Andrew from Diamond Creek, in the member for McEwen's electorate, is part of a family of four using solar panels and a battery to power their home and their pool, helping them to keep the pool going while also keeping their energy bills down.

Australians get this. They get that the transition is on. Those opposite have missed the memo.

Last month, electric vehicle sales overtook petrol car sales in Australia for the first time, as more drivers chose lower running costs and greater choice. More than 27,000 battery electric vehicles were sold, a new monthly record. In some ways this seems remarkable because it's not so long since a former prime minister from that side told us all that electric vehicles would 'ruin the weekend'.

Well, Australians know better, and, again, they're voting with their feet. They're voting with their economic interests and their interests in the future. They know that household batteries and EVs are helping them take control of their power bills and drive down their energy expenses.

Of course, those opposite are the same government that offended our neighbours in the Pacific, that stepped away from the global efforts to deal with climate change and that ignored the fact that the entry price to be a serious part of the Pacific family is being serious about climate. Those opposite cannot be taken seriously when it comes to this debate. We have acted to tackle energy bills and we know there is more to do.

We've acted to help with power bill relief, through gas price caps and investing in cheap renewables, all of which the coalition opposed. We are also fixing the retail energy market to make sure that customers are getting better deals from energy retailers when it comes to this essential service. The 2026 default market offer, which is set by the independent Australian Energy Regulator, is delivering reductions in prices for all residential and small business customers.

We know we need to keep going, and in fact the Australian Energy Market Commission has warned: Delaying the connection of renewable generation and transmission into the market would put upward pressure on residential electricity costs. Yet this is exactly what those opposite are proposing. The coalition's costly coal scheme keeps ageing, unreliable generators running long past their use-by date.

These plants do break down without warning, and every breakdown means a price spike. When coal breaks down, household bills go up. Their scheme pours billions of taxpayer dollars into propping up clapped-out coal instead of building the modern grid Australians deserve—renewables backed by hydrobatteries and fast, flexible gas.

They have a plan for more breakdowns, for higher prices and for wasted money, and Australians will pay for it. Australians know they will pay for it because we have the track record of those opposite. During the coalition's decade in government, 24 of the nation's 28 coal-fired power stations announced they were closing, and they did nothing to secure our energy future.

Australians cannot afford to keep paying the price of the coalition's climate infighting, their denial of what is actually happening. Let's be clear. Our government is on the track of protecting Australian industry, of backing Australian industry, of backing the transition to cleaner, cheaper renewables.

In fact, research by the Clean Energy Council in March 2025 found that household power bills could rise by $449 per year by 2030 if we had greater reliance on gas and coal and if renewables were built more slowly. Household bills could rise by $606 per year by 2030 if this occurred and a major coal-fired power plant failed unexpectedly. The energy experts agree that renewables are the cheapest form of energy and the lowest cost way to replace ageing coal.

Treasury's modelling report from September 2025 states: Not pursuing net zero by 2050 risks lower economic growth, reduced investment, missed export and employment opportunities, and higher electricity prices. The recent International Energy Agency report found: Across many wholesale electricity markets, especially in Europe, a higher share of renewables in the power mix has consistently led to lower prices.

That is what those of us on this side of the chamber get. That is what governments who understand, who are serious about governing and the future of this country, get. Those opposite come in here to score political points from workers who deserve to be backed, who deserve to have a government that is on their side.

Fortunately for those workers in Whyalla, this government is on their side, and we will remain on their side as we continue to support Australians on the transition to cheaper, cleaner energy. We are committed to a clean, sovereign, renewable energy future where households and industries reap the benefits of cheaper, clean, reliable energy.