Defying standard parliamentary rules against the use of props, Mr Bowen declared "this is a solar panel, don't be afraid, don't be scared" during a debate on renewable energy and then appropriated the words Mr Morrison used when he was federal treasurer.

Mr Bowen said "those opposite have an ideological pathological fear of renewable energy."

Amid protests from the Energy Minister Angus Taylor, the shadow minister then accused the Morrison government of having "renewable energy-phobia" and of missing an opportunity with renewable energy jobs.

"That's the malady afflicting the jobs in the towns and industries indeed in his country because of a pathological ideological opposition to renewable energy being an important part of our sustainable and more certain energy future," Mr Bowen told Parliament.

In response, Mr Taylor declared the Coalition had done more in government for renewable energy than Labor in government.

"Last year alone, we saw 7,000MW of solar and wind being constructed, installed in Australia. That's the equivalent of four large coal fired power stations, " Mr Taylor said.

"That is more than was installed the whole time when Labor was in power over six long years."

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As federal treasurer, Mr Morrison created controversy in 2017 when he brought a lump of coal provided by the Minerals Council of Australia into parliamentary question time to illustrate the government's energy policies.

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