Energy

French argued that the Opposition's policy was a wish list that ignored the technical realities of ageing coal-fired power stations, which suffer from metal fatigue and rising maintenance costs. French noted that during the previous Coalition government, 24 of 28 coal plants accelerated their closure dates, with four gigawatts of generation leaving the system while only one gigawatt was added. French cited the Australian Energy Market Operator and the CSIRO, stating that renewable energy firmed with storage and backed by gas remains the least-cost roadmap for the electricity market. French emphasised that Labor was building new generation, storage, and transmission to provide certainty for manufacturers and workers, contrasting this with the Opposition's lack of a plan for replacing old infrastructure.

Willcox contended that Australia should be an energy superpower but was instead facing a cost-of-living crisis due to high energy prices under the Government. Willcox highlighted that households had spent an additional $23 billion on energy bills over four years, impacting small businesses, manufacturers, farmers, and transport operators. Willcox argued that the reliance on imported fuel, which now accounted for around 90 per cent of transport fuel, posed a risk to national security and economic competitiveness. Willcox advocated for a policy that utilised coal, gas, hydro, renewables, and nuclear energy, asserting that shutting down proven sources before reliable replacements were ready was detrimental to the economy.

Roberts opposed the motion, stating that it ignored the structural causes of high prices and would expose Australians to price spikes from unreliable ageing coal plants. Roberts noted that since 2022, the grid had gained over 22 gigawatts of wind and solar capacity, increasing renewable capacity by 60 per cent. Roberts cited Treasury modelling warning that a disorderly transition away from net zero could cost the economy $1.2 trillion by 2050, and referenced the Clean Energy Council finding that bills could rise significantly if renewable construction slowed. Roberts outlined Government actions including power bill relief, gas price caps, and new retail market rules to protect consumers, urging the House to reject the motion in favour of building a modern energy system.