Party must commit on power plan

WHEN it comes to energy policy, no political party has covered itself in glory.

The mess we are in today, with power prices heading inexorably north and blackouts on the horizon, has been caused by our political leaders, state and federal.

There has not been a coherent, transparent and consistent strategy on energy for more than a decade. It has been described as the biggest policy failure in Australia this century – one that will badly damage our nation’s prosperity and global competitiveness.

And yesterday, Opposition climate change and energy spokesman Mark Butler gave us more reason to support that claim. Mr Butler, who was in Townsville for an energy policy roundtable with local federal Labor MP Cathy O’Toole, exposed the ALP’s double standards and confusion about power policy.

In this instance, Mr Butler initially stated he was against concessional loans to the private sector for energy projects. This was in relation to the Adani coal project in Queensland’s Galilee Basin. Referring to the proposed $ 1 billion concessional loan from the Northern Australia Infrastructure Fund for the rail line that would connect the mine pit to the port at Bowen, Mr Butler said: “Federal Labor is steadfastly opposed to taxpayers’ money being given to a multinational company to build a private sector operation like a coal mine. Frankly that ( the Adani project) should stand or fall on its own merits.”

OK, so in that case, he was asked, what was his attitude to the $ 161.7 million in concessional loans handed to a Saudi billionaire to develop a solar farm at Moree, in NSW’s northwest? Mr Butler: “Well this is a project that is part of a renewable energy target, which was directed particularly at pulling through technology in areas where they weren’t able to stand on their own two feet.’’

So it’s one standard for coal, another for an otherwise unviable solar project. Or, put another way, we will throw money at projects that don’t make economic sense, as long as they fit our ideology.

But Mr Butler went further and in the process gave us more insight into the extent of Labor’s energy policy confusion.

“We’re now at a point where solar and wind in Australia are now cheaper than old school technology and they will be able to compete in a structured market. It’s now delivering cheaper, cleaner technology to Australians.”

Well if that’s the case, then why do we continue to subsidise renewable energy projects?

If Mr Butler is correct, that solar and wind sourced energy is cheaper, why does it still require billions in taxpayer support?

For North Queenslanders, it is yet more evidence that Labor is playing both sides of the fence on energy and, in particular, the Adani project.

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, Ms O’Toole, even deputy premier Jackie Trad, have all declared they want the Adani project to go ahead. Yet when it comes to any form of government action to help make this jobgenerating mine a reality, they run a mile.

At the same time, the Federal Government remains too timid to decide where it stands on delivering affordable, reliable energy for consumers and businesses. It is hinting it will support another coal- fired power station but it continues to dither about actually making a decision.

Time is running out. We need calls made now to safeguard our energy supply.