Coalition Pushes “Cheaper Power” Bill While Rolling Back Climate Policies

Recent spikes in Australian electricity bills stem from a combination of higher global gas prices after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, flooding at east-coast coal mines and outages at ageing generators. Labor had earlier pledged a $275 reduction, but wholesale prices rose roughly 20 percent as these factors converged.

The Guardian

In a press release the Coalition pledged eight commitments to be packaged in a new bill within 30 days if elected. Angus Taylor and Matt Canavan say they will:

The Guardian

• Tear up the “safeguard mechanism” introduced under former Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

The Guardian

• Abolish the mid-century net-zero emissions goal set by Scott Morrison and Barnaby Joyce.

The Guardian

• Repeal the Howard-era ban on nuclear energy.

The Guardian

• Scrap Labor’s capacity-investment scheme for solar, wind and storage and replace it with a program that could also fund fossil-fuel and nuclear projects.

The Guardian

• Eliminate the vehicle-efficiency standard that forces manufacturers to lower fleet emissions.

The Guardian

• Renewable sources (solar, wind, hydro) overtook coal as Australia’s leading electricity source last year.

The Guardian

• Solar capacity expanded 30 percent in a single year.

The Guardian

• The International Renewable Energy Agency reports 85 percent of new power capacity built globally was renewable, and 90 percent of that renewable capacity was cheaper than the cheapest fossil-fuel alternative.

The Guardian

• About 25 percent of new car buyers chose an electric vehicle last month, outpacing petrol or diesel purchases.

The Guardian

• Global EV sales are up more than 10 percent this year and are projected to reach nearly 30 percent of total sales.

The Guardian

The Coalition’s press release framed its agenda with the headline “Australians need cheaper power, not more ideology.” Angus Taylor later argued that all energy types—“dirty and clean”—should be equally available to lower bills, implicitly dismissing climate change as a major threat. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, speaking at Climate Week in New York, avoided labeling fossil fuels as the problem, prompting criticism that the government’s climate messaging remains vague.

The Guardian

“Australians need cheaper power, not more ideology” — Wednesday

The Guardian