Tuesday, 20 December 2022

Questions without notice

Energy policy

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (16:05): My question is to the Minister for Energy and Resources. Two weeks ago national cabinet agreed to an energy price relief plan which included price caps on energy. Can the minister guarantee that energy prices will not rise further for Victorian households and businesses and that gas shortages will not occur as a result of this plan?

Lily D’AMBROSIO (Mill Park – Minister for Climate Action, Minister for Energy and Resources, Minister for the State Electricity Commission) (16:05): I thank the opposition leader for his question. One thing that I can absolutely say on behalf of this side of Parliament, this government, is that every one of our policies is about reducing the pressure on families and businesses when it comes to energy prices – every single action. That is why we led the charge for the commonwealth government – in fact going, before this commonwealth government, to the friends of those opposite in previous governments – to actually institute a national domestic reserve policy that would ensure that we have a more than sufficient supply of gas to meet our domestic needs at a fair price. Those two things go together. We are not about playing the games that those opposite are playing because their friends in Canberra are still playing the same games. They learned nothing from the election in March. These people have learned nothing from the election in November. Unlike those who wanted to have a gas-led campaign, we know that the more we feed people gas, the higher the prices will be.

John Pesutto: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, I do not wish to interrupt the minister unnecessarily, but we are just seeking a guarantee that energy prices will not rise. We ask her to address the question – on relevance.

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister was being relevant to the question that was asked.

Lily D’AMBROSIO: Thank you, Speaker. One thing is for sure: we actually had a referendum on electricity last month – bringing back the SEC and growing our renewable energy, because we know that more renewable energy means lower prices for every Victorian, unlike some who want to have higher bills through more gas and some on the other side who actually want to have nuclear power, which is the most expensive form of new energy. That is what you will deliver. On this side of the house the facts are absolutely there for everyone to see. The referendum was held and the verdict is out: people want a return of the SEC and public ownership of 100 per cent renewable energy, putting downward pressure on bills and of course creating jobs – power for people, not for profits – cutting our emissions and growing 59,000 jobs. This is all about reducing prices, growing jobs and reducing our emissions. We will absolutely deliver a significant and ambitious agenda – 95 per cent renewable electricity by 2035 and 59,000 jobs, including 6000 apprenticeships and traineeships. Unlike those who voted against our renewable energy targets and voted against our emissions reduction targets, we will absolutely continue to drive down those prices, create the jobs and own energy for the people of Victoria, not sell it off to the big profit producers of gas and the multinationals like they did with privatisation.