Wednesday, 11 September 2024

Energy policy

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:27): My question is to the Premier. The Premier has said this week that you can ‘keep cooking with gas’. Why can’t Victorians living in established suburbs who are planning a knockdown rebuild install a gas cooktop?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:28): As we have just heard from our outstanding minister for energy, climate action and the SEC –

Members interjecting.

Jacinta ALLAN: I am just waiting for the member for Brighton to take a point of order on all this unpleasant male shouting that is going on. All this unpleasant male shouting deserves a point of order, doesn’t it?

As we just heard from our outstanding minister for energy, resources, climate action and the SEC – and I will repeat for the benefit of the member for Brighton – we are supporting Victorian households and those businesses to go all electric.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance – without repeating the question – it was a very specific question, and I would ask you to bring the Premier back to it.

The SPEAKER: The Premier had only just commenced her answer. I will give her an opportunity to come back to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: We are supporting those households and businesses to go all electric for two key reasons. We are doing it because, as we have just heard from the minister for energy, it is a cheaper source of energy, particularly because of the work that we have done. Victoria has amongst the lowest wholesale energy prices in the national market. The second reason, though, too, while we are undertaking these important changes with the support as the minister has outlined, is because, while gas makes up an important part of our energy transition, we know from the chief scientist that it is a diminishing resource. This is the advice from the chief scientist.

Peter Walsh: On a point of order, Speaker, on the issue of relevance and bringing the Premier back to the question as to why someone who is already using gas and pulls their house down and builds a new one cannot have a gas cooktop, I would ask you to bring the Premier back to the question.

The SPEAKER: I ask members not to repeat the question in their points of order. It was a very direct question. I will give the Premier an opportunity to come back to answering the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: The reason why this context is important is because it goes to why we are undertaking consultation on how we support those households and businesses who can go all electric to do so. But in understanding that gas is a diminishing resource, as advised by the chief scientist –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is required to be factual, and the Premier just referred to houses that ‘can’ go, rather than the question, which was about a ban applied to all of those people.

The SPEAKER: It is not for me to determine if the Premier is being factual or not. The Premier was being relevant to the question. I will give her an opportunity to answer the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: We are undertaking work in understanding that gas is a diminishing resource, as advised by the chief scientist. We know that we need to take measures to preserve the gas resource for those households and businesses that continue to need it into the future. This is a commonsense measure where we will support those households and businesses that need to continue to use gas but encourage those households and businesses to make the transition. This is common sense. The anti-evidence brigade opposite are the ones who banned the exploration of conventional gas in this state.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is debating the question.

The SPEAKER: The Premier to come back to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: We have been clear this week that as part of the consultation phase we are embarking on Victorians in those households can continue to cook with gas, but we need to support others to make the transition.

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:32): The Premier has said that ‘Victorians who are currently cooking with gas can keep on cooking with gas’. In light of the comments and answer from the Premier just then, can the Premier advise the house whether every comment she made to the Herald Sun this week is a comment she stands by fully and completely?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:33): The answer is yes, and the reason why I say this very clearly is because we will always take an evidence-based approach to supporting the Victorian community through transition issues and challenges.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is required to be factual, and clearly that is not the case.

The SPEAKER: I cannot determine whether the Premier is being factual or not.

Jacinta ALLAN: You cannot say one thing about nuclear in the shadow cabinet room and another thing outside. You cannot say one thing about treaty and another thing outside.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is debating the question – just that one point.

The SPEAKER: The Premier will come back to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: We are working through an energy transition and seeing gas play a role in this transition and being absolutely factual and evidence-based. The evidence when we came to government was that we had to lift the ban on conventional gas exploration because those opposite put a ban on conventional gas exploration. This is part of the task ahead of us: to support gas as part of our energy transition but absolutely to focus on driving more renewable energy because it is cheaper, more secure and provides a better outcome for households and businesses.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Evelyn is warned.