Chaos and contradiction by the Turnbull government has led to gridlock on national energy policy.
The result is higher prices for households and industry, and a $3 billion renewable energy sector left swinging in the wind.
On Tuesday, Federal Labor Lyons MP Brian Mitchell spoke in the federal parliament on the issue of energy policy, saying the absence of national leadership was resulting in a patchwork of state governments going it alone.
This morning, Wednesday, Tasmanians awoke to read that is exactly what is happening in Tasmania, with the state government deciding to implement its own state-based energy policy.
“The Turnbull government’s failure to adopt a national energy policy framework means Australians are being held hostage to a patchwork grab-bag of state-based plans,” Mr Mitchell said.
“This is a nightmare that contributes to ongoing uncertainty and higher prices.”
Mr Mitchell said wholesale industry energy prices under the federal Liberals had quadrupled from $4 a gigajoule to $20 a gigajoule. The international average is around $8.
The federal Liberals were at war internally over the future of coal and the place of renewable energy in the market.
“They are still arguing about whether climate change is real,” Mr Mitchell said.
“The only national energy policy the Turnbull Liberals have implemented is to make Australian pensioners pay $365 a year more for electricity, by removing the energy supplement payment.”
Speech here:
http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Hansard/Hansard_Display?bid=chamber/hansardr/665fe79a-9aad-4b04-8f9b-6fe8d961747b/&sid=0026
Federal Labor Lyons MP Brian Mitchell
