Anthony Albanese has refused to apologize after Labor scrapped its election pledge to cut utility bills by $275 by 2025.
The prime minister promised the cut during the election campaign and insisted that cheaper renewable energy would lower prices.
But just six weeks into his tenure, Energy Secretary Chris Bowen had to admit the figure would not be attainable amid a major spike in power prices.
Anthony Albanese (pictured today) has refused to apologize after Labor scrapped its election pledge to cut energy bills by $275 by 2025
During question time in parliament on Wednesday, opposition leader Peter Dutton criticized Mr Albanese over his broken promise.
‘Before when you became prime minister, you reiterated your promise to cut electricity bills by $275, a whopping 15 times. After you became prime minister, you never mentioned it once,” he said.
“You said, and… I quote, it is the Prime Minister’s job to face the challenges Australia faces and not to constantly blame someone else.
“Will you be honest with the Australian people and tell them if they’ll get the $275 discount you promised them?”
Mr Albanian largely dodged the question, instead boasting about securing the passage of a bill to set a 43 percent emissions reduction target with support from the Greens.
“Today we are one step closer to fulfilling our mandate,” he said.
Mr Albanian insisted that his energy policy would create 640,000 new jobs, five in six of them in regional Australia.
He said the renewable sector would make up 82 percent of the national electricity market by 2030 and Australia would achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
The prime minister had promised the cut during the election campaign and insisted that cheaper renewable energy would lower prices
Mr Albanese then attacked shadow treasurer Angus Taylor for also failing to deliver on electricity price promises after failing to deliver on a pledge to cut prices by 25 percent ahead of the 2019 election.
He also attacked the coalition for switching to nuclear power after Mr Dutton launched a policy review in it.
And now that they have resisted the cheapest form of energy, renewable energy, they are coming up with the most expensive solutions. Nuclear power, nuclear power,” he said.
Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley also took Mr Albanese to account over the broken $275 pledge, asking: ‘Why don’t you confess and apologize to struggling Australians?’
But again the prime minister dodged the question.
Labor’s pre-election modeling predicted bills would fall by $378 by 2030 as the government invested in more renewable energy that is cheaper than power produced by burning fossil fuels.
During the election campaign, Mr. Albanian said his climate change policy would save families $275 a year by 2025.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton addresses coalition members and senators at a coalition party meeting on Tuesday
In June, Mr. Bowen admitted that the modeling that yielded the $275 figure is already outdated and cannot be relied upon.
He blamed recently revealed delays to the Snowy 2.0 hydroelectric dam in NSW and power price increases of up to 18.3 percent on the east coast.
Asked if he was still behind Labour’s $275 figure, which was modeled by the privately held company RepuTex and unveiled in December, Mr Bowen said: “Of course the numbers will shift.
“Since the modeling was done, we’ve seen Snowy 2.0 come late, and we’ve seen the standard offering in the market rise.”
Coal and gas prices rose during an early winter and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Earlier on Wednesday, Greens leader Adam Bandt revealed that his party will support Labor’s climate change bill, meaning it will almost certainly pass parliament.
The government bill enshrines a 43 percent emissions reduction target by 2030 and net zero by 2050, and requires the minister of the day to report annually to parliament on the country’s progress.
Negotiations between Mr Bandt and Mr Bowen were underway after the Greens expressed concerns about the bill.
The Greens wanted faster action on climate change and called for a 75 percent emissions reduction target by 2030 during the election campaign.
Greens leader Adam Bandt is seen leaving Kensington Primary school with his partner after voting on Federal Election Day
Labor needs the support of all 12 Greens senators plus one cross-bencher to get the bill through the Senate.
Independent David Pocock, former Wallabies captain, has said he will support the bill, meaning it will now almost certainly pass the Senate.
Mr Albanese said he was “very confident” the bill would be passed, and urged the coalition to support it as well.
“This is an opportunity for the whole parliament to be on the right side of history,” he said.