Transcript - Sky News with Kieran Gilbert

MELISSA MCINTOSH MP 
SHADOW MINISTER FOR ENERGY AFFORABILITY 
SHADOW MINISTER FOR WESTERN SYDNEY 
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR LINDSAY

Tuesday, 3 December 2024 

Subjects: $275; energy affordability; energy hardship arrangements; renewables; Labor broken promises. 

Live - NewsDay with Kieran Gilbert - Sky News 

Kieran Gilbert  

In a sign of the ongoing cost of living pain, it's been revealed a record number of households have been forced to take up energy hardship plans with their energy bills. It comes three years to the day that Labor promised the power bills would be $275 cheaper by 2025. Joining me live is the Shadow Energy Affordability Minister, Melissa McIntosh. 

Thanks for your time, Melissa McIntosh. The Labor Party argues and and Labor frontbenchers today are saying that people recognise the international factors at play since that promise was made, including the war in Ukraine. Is that not something you hear from your constituents?  

Melissa McIntosh  

Thanks, Kieran. From a very hot 30-odd degrees in Penrith. I think Labor is kidding itself if that's what they're trying to tell the Australian people. Australians, who as you said, are now on hardship payments like never before. Hardship payments are up 93% more since Labor has come into government. Over 560 people each week go onto these hardship payments.  

And it is three years to the day that the Albanese Labor Government promised Australians that they would be paying $275 less on their electricity bills. Didn't say it once, didn't say it twice, said it 97 times. And here in Western Sydney people are paying around $1,000 more. I think the excuses have dried up and the cracks that were forming in the energy policy for the government are now great big holes.  

Kieran Gilbert 

The political strategy from, or you know, the tactics from the government now is shifting the focus to Peter Dutton. The Prime Minister at the weekend was arguing that they've had their Australians backs, they've been trying to improve things. Things would have been a lot worse, he argues, under Peter Dutton, because he's opposed all the cost of living measures, including the energy rebates, Melissa McIntosh.  

Melissa McIntosh 

Oh, what, Australians have never had it better? I think that is extraordinary that the government is trying to play that line when people are lining up at food banks, food banks are paying people's energy bills. There is instability in the grid. Not only are people paying $1,000 more and, you know, really suffering under that promise, that broken promise of $275 less, but we have threats this summer that the power will in fact go out.

People have already been asked to turn off their air conditioners, hospitals have been asked to produce less electricity to run their hospitals. And this is before summer even begins. So, we have higher power prices, we have less stability in the grid and we're also hearing now that there is too much solar going into the grid causing instability.  

And yet one more thing to add to all this is that the union, the Electrical Trades Union is threatening to stop work, which means if the power does go out, it might not come on quicker because people are just refusing to work. This is extraordinary that the unions have this much power over the government and over our energy system.  

Kieran Gilbert 

Do you get a sense from your constituents that the support for renewables has fallen?  

Melissa McIntosh 

People have always wanted to do the right thing. We have a high uptake of solar. People have put them on their roofs, but one thing that they haven't been able to do because of the high cost is to get batteries. So, they're not seeing the relief that they should have been seeing. I think people most of all are just fed up with the broken promises to be told on 97 occasions that you'll be paying less.  

And now you're really struggling not just with high energy prices, but high grocery prices. Everything is up with inflation. Then I think Australians are starting to ask questions about this Albanese Labor Government and really I think it's becoming clearer and clearer to people that they don't have a plan, that they shouldn't be putting all their eggs in one basket with renewables and Australians are paying the price for that.  

Kieran Gilbert 

Melissa McIntosh joining us live from a hot Perth. I should say the different P. Penrith. 

Melissa McIntosh 

Penrith. 

Kieran Gilbert 

On the foot of the mountains. A beautiful part of the world. Thanks, Melissa. Talk to you soon.