Question Time AU

General Debate

Energy

House of Representatives · Monday 2 March 2026

Official Hansard for this day (APH) · Read this debate on OpenAustralia

At a glance

Members debated the rising cost of electricity and the effectiveness of the government's energy policies. Labor members argued that investing in renewables, storage, and grid modernisation is lowering wholesale prices and ensuring long-term affordability, citing record installations and falling spot prices. Coalition members contended that the government has broken promises to cut bills, with costs surging significantly, and criticised the lack of progress on emissions targets and the reliability of the energy supply. The debate highlighted a sharp divide over whether the current trajectory delivers cheaper, cleaner energy or exacerbates the cost-of-living crisis.

Summary in reported speech - not a transcript. AI-generated, so check the official record before quoting.

How the debate unfolded

Opened the debate

Holzberger argued that affordable energy and housing were historically key to Australia's economic success, citing post-war bipartisan support for public investment. Holzberger claimed the Coalition had abandoned sensible policy by supporting expensive coal and nuclear options while denying human-induced climate change. Holzberger attributed current high electricity prices to the former energy minister's decade of inaction and asserted that Labor was fixing the issue through renewable energy firmed by gas and batteries.