Energy policy at mercy of Coalition
FEDERAL Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg is confident his Coalition colleagues will endorse the National Energy Guarantee, despite some backbenchers threatening to vote against it.
The Turnbull Government’s signature energy policy is now at the mercy of the Coalition partyroom, after the states and territories offered their in-principle support.
Several high-profile MPs, including Tony Abbott and Barnaby Joyce, have threatened to break ranks and scuttle the plan.
However, Mr Frydenberg believes there is strong support for the policy in Coalition ranks.
“My colleagues have been briefed by the miners, the manufacturers, the farmers and the industry groups who say this is the only game in town to reduce people’s power bills,” he said yesterday.
“They know how hard this is and they know Australia needs to break with the impasse that has dogged this policy in the past.”
Mr Frydenberg chastised Labor states including Victoria for making “crass, calculating” last-minute demands to reshape the policy.
“This is politicking and posturing and what the sector wants is investment certainty,” he said. “We have to disassociate the crass short-term political calculations going on in Victoria from the long-term national interest.”
Victoria wants the proposed 26 per cent emissions reduction target to be set by regulation, rather than legislation. However, Mr Frydenberg dismissed the suggestion and unloaded on the “spooked” state government.
“They have been approving of the design and the process, but they get a few hundred emails in inner-city seats from green voters, suddenly they are spooked.”
The federal Opposition wants a 45 per cent emissions reduction target.