THE ALP shadow cabinet has backflipped on environmental policy, embraced gas and declared Australia will not be a low-carbon economy “anytime soon”.
The Party has been engaged in a public civil war since its crushing defeat in last May’s “unlosable” federal election – which it had dubbed the “climate change” election.
FORCEFUL
The pro-gas decision, made in secrecy last month, abandons the extreme environmental posture adopted by former leaders Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard and Bill Shorten and follows forceful representation from both Left and Right faction unions.
The unions warned that Australia would fail to succeed as a renewable energy superpower if it continued to deindustrialise.
According to reports in The Australian newspaper, AWU national secretary Daniel Walton and CFMEU mining and energy national president Tony Maher told about 30 ALP MPs on Tuesday to ignore environmental groups and support the gas sector.
Internal Party sources say there is a growing sentiment within caucus to support reliable base-load energy sources.
In working towards a formalised pro-gas position, a joint document has been released by shadow energy minister Mark Butler and shadow resources minister Joel Fitzgibbon, who had been at odds with each other since 2019’s election loss.
GAS RESERVES
According to The Australian, the document supports the gas sector and recognises its role in economic growth, export income, job creation, electricity generation and base load power for manufacturing.
It also recognises that gas will play an important intermediary role to get to net zero emissions and supports the development of new gas reserves.
Speaking on the policy re-alignment, deputy Labor leader Richard Marles said Labor’s internal dispute over gas had been settled.
“We support the Australian gas industry,” Mr Marles said.
“I mean Australia is the largest gas exporter in the world, of course we support the gas industry.
“We understand how important its role is in electricity generation.”
Labor leader Anthony Albanese – who has limited historical ties with trade unions – appears to have been by-passed in arriving at the ALP’s new policy position.PC
The lazy, self obsessed and the wealthy need a crisis in their lives to add meaning and purpose to their existence – so they manufacture ‘crisis’ like climate change, racism in Australia, signs on toilet doors, etc
We punish our economy whilst good old China has permission to pollute. No wonder the worlds manufacturing is located in China. Cheaper power. And yet a coalition government stays with the Paris accord when we should have left with Trump. Just plain lunacy.