Parliament House was dramatically plunged into darkness during question time on Wednesday, just moments after a fiery clash over energy policy.
Health Minister Mark Butler had barely begun answering a question when the lights abruptly went out, cutting him off mid-sentence and throwing the chamber into chaos.
The blackout triggered uproar, with Coalition MPs jeering the Albanese Government over the irony of the timing.
Opposition members quickly resorted to their mobile phones, switching on torches to illuminate the chamber as proceedings ground to a halt.
A female Labor MP could be heard calling the Opposition ‘doofuses’, during the chaos.
Power has since been restored to the chamber.
The outage came shortly after the Opposition grilled the Government on its energy stance, pressing Energy and Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen over Australia’s commitment to the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, a pledge to phase out fossil fuels, including gas.
The Opposition continued their push against Bowen, labelling him a ‘part-time’ minister, following his appointment as President of COP31, as part of a deal struck with Turkey, after Australia failed to secure a bid to host the 2026 conference.
Opposition MPs (pictured) pulled out their mobile phone torches, after power went out
The chamber erupted into jeers, after power went out in the middle of Question Time
The Opposition argues the pledge signals Energy Minister Chris Bowen is preparing to take a far more radical stance on a fossil-fuel-free future.
That position contrasts sharply with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s repeated assurances that gas will remain central to Australia’s energy mix for ‘decades to come’ as a transition fuel, and that coal exports will continue.
It comes after the Government doubled down on gas security at home, signing a new agreement with APLNG to supply up to 40 petajoules of affordable gas annually through 2029 under its mandatory Gas Code of Conduct.
The deal is part of a broader strategy that has secured more than 640 petajoules of enforceable domestic supply commitments since 2023, aimed at keeping prices stable and supporting industry during the shift to renewables.
