Dan Tehan

Answer from Chris Bowen

The minister clarified that his recent comments referred to the hype around green hydrogen for home heating and transport, noting that electric vehicles had overtaken petrol cars and only one hydrogen car was sold last year. He stated that green hydrogen would still play a role in industrial decarbonization. He pointed out that the shadow minister had also made similar positive statements about green hydrogen in the past.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister explained that in 2019, he supported a campaign to save the golf course from being converted into passive space by the Greens. He noted that the golf course was not in his electorate of Grayndler at the time, but rather in Barton during the period from 2016 to 2025. He emphasized his role in defending green space in the Inner West.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister stated that he had supported a campaign to save the golf course in 2019, led by local member Linda Burney, to preserve green space in the Inner West. He contrasted his government's project commitments with the opposition's larger list, noting that none of the opposition's projects were in the Inner West.

Answer from Chris Bowen (Minister for Climate Change and Energy)

The minister did not provide a direct answer in the transcript provided for this specific exchange, as the answer text is missing or implied to be similar to previous responses regarding commercial confidentiality. However, based on the pattern of previous answers by the same minister on this topic, he likely cited commercial confidentiality.

Answer from Clare O'Neil

The minister reiterated that the recent legislation delivered tax cuts and levelled the playing field for first home buyers. She cited Treasury modelling showing house prices would rise but at a rate two percentage points slower than otherwise. She stated that the changes would help 75,000 rental households become first home owners. She criticised the opposition for not supporting these changes to address the broken housing market.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister committed to continuing transparency and providing information as he and the energy minister had done. He noted he had held more press conferences in the last month than his predecessor did in three years and planned to address the National Press Club the following day.

Answer from Chris Bowen

The Minister provided detailed figures for each state and territory. In New South Wales, 247 stations lacked diesel and 61 had total stockouts out of 2,400. In Queensland, 77 lacked diesel and 39 lacked unleaded petrol out of 1,800. In Victoria, 82 lacked diesel and 40 lacked petrol out of 1,627. In South Australia, 20 lacked diesel and 13 lacked unleaded petrol out of 700. In Western Australia, 18 lacked diesel and 14 lacked unleaded petrol out of 771. In Tasmania, eight lacked diesel and 15 had unavailable grades out of 294. In the Northern Territory, five lacked diesel and four lacked unleaded petrol out of 180, with some shortages due to road closures. In the ACT, five lacked diesel and two lacked unleaded petrol, with shortages typically resolved within the same day.

Answer from Chris Bowen

The Minister provided state-by-state figures for service stations without diesel or unleaded fuel, noting declines in some areas like Victoria. He stated he would continue providing updates as appropriate, similar to state premiers. He explained that data was collected primarily by states and shared regularly with the Commonwealth, and that premiers were providing daily updates.

Answer from Chris Bowen

The minister confirmed that fuel levels were accurate and that ships continued to arrive and refineries operated fully. He acknowledged real shortages in rural areas due to doubled demand but stated that using information-gathering powers would require legislation that the opposition had previously voted against. He compared this to the opposition's stance on hate speech legislation, noting they voted against it and then demanded its use.

Answer from Chris Bowen

The minister stated that the legislation would be introduced the following day.

Answer from Chris Bowen

The Minister referred to his previous answer, reiterating daily contact with energy company executives who had advised of uncertainty from mid-April onwards. He clarified that the six cancellations or delays were confirmed publicly the previous day and had largely been replaced. The Minister explained that the cancellations occurred iteratively rather than simultaneously. He criticized the Leader of the Opposition for misleading claims about Australian refineries exporting diesel and petrol, asserting that his approach was factual and transparent.

Answer from Madeleine King

The Minister guaranteed that Australians are better placed to withstand international shocks under the current government than under the opposition. She criticized the opposition for voting against reforms to access fuel stockpiles and for previously storing fuel in Texas. She asserted that Labor MPs always fight in the national interest to ensure fuel supply.

Answer from Chris Bowen

The minister acknowledged difficulties in obtaining diesel in rural and regional areas, citing demand increases of 100 per cent in Mildura and 280 per cent in the Adelaide Hills and Barossa. He stated that national fuel security remained strong due to minimum stock obligations and that the National Oil Supplies Emergency Committee had met three times in the previous week. He criticized the Deputy Premier of Queensland for allegedly encouraging panic buying by misrepresenting stock levels.

Answer from Jim Chalmers

The Treasurer stated that the government did not consider it appropriate to mourn the Ayatollah's death. He noted that agencies like the ATO and the charities commission had powers to revoke concessional treatment for organizations. He referred the specific matter to the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, indicating it was being taken seriously.

Answer from Anne Aly

The minister stated that the government expected funded organizations to abide by the law and taxpayer standards. She confirmed that she was investigating the matter and would provide further updates shortly.

Answer from Anne Aly

The minister stated that she was made aware of the issue in the last 24 hours. She confirmed that she had instructed the department to halt any further actions on the grant or funding process.

Answer from Chris Bowen

The minister stated that the government was working to lower bills by increasing supply and providing short-term relief. He noted that wholesale prices had dropped by roughly 30 per cent but this had not yet flowed through to bills. He mentioned reforms to the default market offer and the introduction of solar sharer to provide free electricity during the day.

Answer from Chris Bowen

The minister corrected the premise that the role is full-time, stating it is held concurrently with ministerial duties. He argued that every trip taken would be in the national interest and part of a foreign affairs reset. He criticized the opposition for previously supporting Australia's role in COP negotiations while now opposing it.

Answer from Anthony Albanese

The Prime Minister quoted the Australian Energy Council CEO stating that keeping coal open longer would increase costs and hinder renewable investment. He cited business leaders emphasizing the need for a clear net zero pathway to ensure investor confidence. He argued that the opposition's lack of a plan created uncertainty, whereas experts supported a transition to renewables, gas, and storage to lower long-term costs.

Answer from Chris Bowen

The Minister referred to his previous answer regarding land use estimates and emphasized the strict environmental approval regime in place. He stated that projects in protected areas or those not environmentally sustainable would not be approved. He accused the member of spreading disinformation about the renewable rollout, citing examples of false claims about wind farms and climate change made by opposition members.

Answer from Chris Bowen

The Minister explained that the Australian Bureau of Statistics attributed the annual increase to the timing of Energy Bill Relief Fund rebate applications in different capital cities. He cited the Australian Energy Regulator's report stating that aging coal plants are costly, require high maintenance, and are prone to outages, contributing to higher prices. He noted that four gigawatts of dispatchable power had left the grid while only one gigawatt had been added under the previous government. He asserted that the current government takes decisions to lower prices through relief funds and renewable energy, contrasting this with the opposition's support for nuclear energy and opposition to bill relief.

Answer from Chris Bowen

The minister confirmed the government's intention to meet the 2030 target, citing good progress. He noted that 4.4 gigawatts of new renewable energy had been added to the grid in the last financial year, with a pipeline of 15.6 gigawatts. He highlighted recent investments, including a billion-dollar commitment from an international investor and a multi-hundred-million-dollar storage investment by AGL. He also reported that 18,336 households had adopted home batteries under the government's program in the previous four weeks.

Answer from Chris Bowen

The Minister stated that energy prices had fallen 6.2 per cent on the year, attributing this to government energy bill relief which the opposition had opposed. He noted that the $1,300 figure cited by the member corresponded to potential savings from installing a cheaper home battery under government policy. He implied the opposition's focus on rising prices ignored the impact of government interventions.

Answer from Chris Bowen

The Minister stated that the Australian people had judged the government's energy plan favorably in the May election. He noted that energy prices had fallen 6.2 per cent, whereas they would have been 16.6 per cent higher without government relief. He affirmed the government's commitment to renewable energy and cheaper home batteries, citing 17,324 households that had installed batteries in the last four weeks.

Answer from Tony Burke

The Minister stated that only a Labor government could return immigration to sustainable levels. He noted that the government had taken action on international student visas, resulting in a 31 per cent year-on-year reduction in net overseas migration. He criticized the opposition for voting for unlimited student visas and for failing to address the gap in their own migration numbers. He referenced the Richardson review, which highlighted issues with the previous government's immigration system, including suspicious money movements and visa integrity concerns.