Energy Minister Chris Bowen jeered after minor question time light malfunction

MPs booed, jeered and screamed, with others pulling out their phones with their camera torches on after a minor light malfunction sent question time into chaos.

Liberal MPs holding up there smartphone torches after some lighting went out during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

An ill-timed light malfunction caused the parliament to erupt into chaos, with opposition members booing and pointing their fingers at Energy Minister Chris Bowen.

MPs in the House of Representatives were hit with a partial light outage during question time on Wednesday, with questions largely focused on inflation figures which revealed a 37.1 per cent increase in electricity prices.

MPs on opposition benches seized the moment, booing, whooping and pointed their fingers Mr Bowen, yelling: “blackout Bowen”.

Others began waving their phones with the camera torch on, gleefully taunting unimpressed Labor MPs.

Health Minister Mark Butler, mid-answer, attempted to battle on at the dispatch box.

The minor lighting glitch happened during question time. Opposition MPs Picture: NewsWire/ Martin Ollman

Question time was interrupted after a minor light malfunction. Picture: NewsWire/ Martin Ollman

The Opposition frontbench leant into the moment. Picture: NewsWire/ Martin Ollman

One MP yelled out: ‘We can hear you but we can’t see you’. Picture: NewsWire/ Martin Ollman

One MP yelled: “We can hear but we can’t see you,” with Wright MP Steve Buchholz leaning into the madness, waving his flailing arms into his seat neighbour Goldstein MP Tim Wilson.

Speaker Milton Dick attempted to get the house under order, booting Coalition defence spokesman Angus Taylor from the chamber.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen laughed off the interruption. Picture: NewsWire/ Martin Ollman

Nationals MP Kevin Hogan, attempted to ask a question with his lit-up mobile in hand, however was barred from speaking until he turned off his phone.

“The member for Page won’t get the call unless he leaves his phone,” he said before Mr Hogan placed his phone away.

Earlier in question time, Sussan Ley accused Mr Bowen of being a “part time energy minister” following his appointment as president of negotiations for the COP31 summit.

Hume MP Angus Taylor was ejected from the chamber. Picture: NewsWire/ Martin Ollman

Drawing jeers from the Coalition, Mr Bowen accused the opposition for being “unpatriotic,” “anti-Australian” and for not wanting Australia to play a “leading role in international negotiations”.

“They want less influence for Australia. How unpatriotic can you be? Why don’t you want your country to have a bigger role in the world? Why are you so anti-Australian?” Mr Bowen fired back.

Originally published as Energy Minister Chris Bowen jeered after minor question time light malfunction