‘Not a single government dollar’: Albanese plays down gas policy push after blowback

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has vowed that nary national wealth volition travel to state companies arsenic a effect of a argumentation promoting caller fossil substance projects to plug a proviso shortage that has sparked a backbench revolt.

Six Labor MPs successful at-risk seats person spoken retired against the future state strategy spearheaded by Resources Minister Madeleine King, pursuing warnings from the Greens and teal independents that they volition run against Labor’s stance connected state to triumph seats astatine the adjacent national election.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says nary nationalist funds volition spell to state companies arsenic a effect of the caller strategy.Credit: Trevor Collins

New sources of state are needed to bolster proviso beyond 2050 from projects specified arsenic Woodside’s offshore Scarborough gasfield and the Narrabri task successful NSW, according to the strategy, which warns that state shortfalls volition deed the eastbound states by 2028 and Western Australia successful 2030.

The Greens are accusing the authorities of reviving the erstwhile Morrison government’s gas-led betterment policy, which sought to unfastened caller state fields to stimulate the economy. They privation Australia’s fossil substance usage phased retired by 2030 and reason immoderate authorities enactment for the state industry.

“At each hurdle, Labor’s comprehensively caved to unit from fossil substance corporations. Vote with Greens against much ember and state for a harmless clime future,” Greens person Adam Bandt said connected Friday.

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Victorian Labor MPs that clasp seats being targeted by the Greens – Josh Burns successful Macnamara, Ged Kearney successful Cooper and Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah successful Higgins – person said the authorities should question to power from fossil fuels to renewable vigor arsenic swiftly arsenic possible. They were joined successful their disapproval by Labor MPs Kate Thwaites, Jerome Laxale and Sally Sitou.

The strategy, released by King connected Thursday, said “new sources of state proviso are needed to conscionable request during the economy-wide transition” to cleanable energy.

However, Albanese said connected Friday that the authorities would not walk nationalist wealth connected the state manufacture nether the strategy.

“Not a azygous authorities dollar arsenic a effect of this announcement successful gas, not one,” Albanese told ABC radio.

“This isn’t a gas-led recovery. We’re not saying that astatine all.”

Questions are being raised astir fiscal enactment for state pursuing Wednesday’s announcement of $566 cardinal successful funding for the Commonwealth’s Geoscience Australia to behaviour mapping of mineral and state deposits crossed the state and its territorial waters.

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said connected Friday that the MPs questioning the state strategy “are not a unit radical connected the broadside of a parliament” and argued that the government’s ambition to rapidly ramp up renewables had not changed.

“Josh [Burns] said helium believes the accent should beryllium connected renewable vigor and promoting renewable energy. I agree. Guess what? So does Madeleine King, truthful does Anthony Albanese, truthful does the cabinet,” Bowen said.

“That’s wherefore we’re lifting renewable vigor from 30 per cent of our National Energy Market to 82 per cent by 2030.”

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Bowen said state had a relation to play successful supplying back-up powerfulness for renewables, but stressed that the government’s absorption was decarbonising the economy.

He announced the authorities had opened a tender nether the government’s strategy to underwrite backstage companies to physique upwind and star farms.

“Today’s announcement of 1.4 gigawatts for Victoria, which is capable renewable vigor for 700,000 homes, is simply a precise important portion of that thrust towards a renewable vigor future,” Bowen said.

However, biology groups said contempt the government’s enactment for renewables, its propulsion for caller state projects undermined moves to curb greenhouse emissions from fossil fuels.

“It’s an mistake by the Albanese authorities to nonstop resources distant from the indispensable vigor transition, towards propping up an manufacture that is wholly misaligned with Australia’s nationalist interest,” Wilderness Society argumentation and strategy manager Tim Beshara said.

“The Morrison authorities tried to bale retired the manufacture with its reprehensible ‘gas-fired recovery’ launched successful effect to COVID-19 and it didn’t halt the industry’s decline.”

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