Wednesday, 19 November 2025

 Jess WILSON (Kew – Leader of the Opposition) (14:21): My question is to the Premier. The Australian Energy Regulator reports Victoria has the second most expensive wholesale power prices in Australia. Does the Premier agree with the Treasurer that Victoria has the lowest wholesale price in the country?

Josh Bull interjected.

The SPEAKER: The member for Sunbury can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for Sunbury withdrew from chamber.

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:22): I am very pleased to respond to the Leader of the Opposition’s question about the work we are doing to invest in more renewable energy. I know renewable energy is a bit of a sore topic for those opposite and also –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Tarneit can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for Tarneit withdrew from chamber.

Sam Groth: On a point of order, standing order 58, Speaker, says that you should not introduce matters extraneous to the question. The question did not ask about renewable energy; it asked about energy prices. They are not the same thing.

The SPEAKER: The Premier has only been on her feet for 15 seconds. The Premier to come back to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: Wow! The member for Nepean might have a sense of the debates being riven through the Liberal Party around the country right now and know that renewable energy is directly related and directly part of the debate and discussion about how we need to keep energy prices down. This is central. The point I make is that Victoria has consistently had –

Members interjecting.

Jacinta ALLAN: The minister for energy would be delighted to answer this question, I know. She wants me to read them out. The minister for energy is right to point out that Victoria has consistently had the lowest wholesale and retail energy prices in the national market. A key factor for this, for the benefit of the member for Nepean, is our investments in renewable energy and renewable energy increasing as a percentage of our energy mix. It is because, you know what, we back targets on this side of the house for a whole bunch of things, and that includes driving renewable energy. We do not live in this denial world like those opposite do about the need to bring more renewable energy into our energy mix.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Nepean can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for Nepean withdrew from chamber.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is debating the question.

The SPEAKER: The Premier to come back to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: Also, further to that, when you discuss energy prices, not only has Victoria had consistently the lowest wholesale and retail energy prices in the national market, but under the default offer regime we are also delivering default offers to homes and businesses lower than other states on the eastern seaboard, and we are able to deliver this because of that investment in renewable energy that is driving more renewable energy into our energy mix. This is how you manage the pressures, which I know are very real. I acknowledge that energy bills are a big cost to households, which is why we have initiatives like the power saving bonus to help support families with their power bills. It is why we have the default offer in the first place – the cheapest in the country. It is why we have a huge range of energy concessions to support vulnerable families with their power bills. It is also why we have a program to encourage households to make the switch to cheaper energy alternatives through the work that is being done.

Brad Rowswell: On a point of order, Speaker, with 10 seconds to go, the Premier continues to debate the question.

The SPEAKER: The Premier was not debating the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: We believe in supporting households with managing their energy bills. We also believe in driving more renewable energy into our energy mix, which you cannot say for those opposite.

 Jess WILSON (Kew – Leader of the Opposition) (14:26): Power prices in Melbourne have increased by 15 per cent over the past 12 months. That is an extra $210 on an average annual Victorian electricity bill. Why is the Premier’s energy policy costing Victorians more?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:27): The Leader of the Opposition is presenting –

Members interjecting.

Jacinta ALLAN: No, they are far from facts. You cannot rush off to Sky after dark and say one thing there and come in here and say another thing. By investing in renewable energy and by driving more renewable energy options, whether it is through the work of the SEC or by partnering with the private sector, we are driving more renewable energy, which helps keep downward pressure on those energy prices.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, this was a very, very specific question that set out some very detailed facts, and the Premier is debating that question.

The SPEAKER: The Premier was not debating the question, and the Premier has the opportunity to respond to both the supplementary and the substantive question in her response.

Jacinta ALLAN: I mentioned earlier the Victorian default offer. Even now, some years after its introduction in 2025–26, the VDO for households is still 10 per cent lower than what it was pre-2019. This is how you continue to support households, recognising that households deserve support, which is why we have the power saving bonus and the energy upgrades program and also continue to believe in the role that renewable energy has to play.