‘Dracula in charge of the blood bank’: Watt claims Queensland will ditch net zero

3 months ago 6

Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt will claim the Coalition’s “merry band of climate deniers” will pressure the Queensland government to follow Canberra-based colleagues and ditch its net zero pledge.

The senior Albanese government minister will use a speech in Brisbane on Thursday to deliver a wide-ranging attack on his rivals’ climate policies after Opposition Leader Sussan Ley buckled to internal party pressure to abandon Australia’s legislated climate targets.

Under the Liberal National Party’s leadership, the Queensland government tore up the state’s renewable energy target and introduced new laws for mandatory public consultation for large-scale solar and wind farms aimed at empowering regional communities to voice concerns against renewable energy projects.

Minister for the Environment and Water Murray Watt.

But Premier David Crisafulli has repeatedly said the government would keep its net zero by 2050 target, and has even warned party colleagues they risked electoral oblivion if it chased an ideological position on climate.

In a speech to the Queensland Media Club on Thursday, Watt will dismiss this pledge, arguing the state government’s “worrying signs” on renewable energy foreshadowed a further retreat on climate policies.

“And that’s before their Canberra-based colleagues come north for their summer recess, ready to strike out support for net zero from their state colleagues’ platform,” the minister will say.

Watt, whose speech will primarily focus on the federal government’s recent environmental protection reforms, will also blast conservative MPs for jeopardising thousands of regional Queensland jobs in the renewable energy sector.

“It’s so baffling when politicians who claim to represent the regions are the loudest in seeking to block these opportunities,” he will say.

“Like senior members of the LNP, including Queensland Senator Matt Canavan and his mentor Barnaby Joyce, who have driven the policy direction firstly of the National Party and now the Liberal Party and the Coalition.

“The Liberals’ humiliating handover of climate and energy policy to these anti-renewable zealots – who still debate whether climate change is real – is like putting Dracula in charge of the blood bank.”

Sussan Ley explains the Liberals’ net zero backdown yesterday, flanked by Senator Anne Ruston (left), opposition energy spokesman Dan Tehan and Senator Jonno Duniam.

Watt will claim the retreat from renewable energy will drive energy prices higher while also denying the opportunity for heavy industries to run operations on clean energy and meet global market expectations.

“To give one example – Rio Tinto’s massive Boyne Island aluminium smelter in Gladstone is, right now, converting its huge, 24/7 power demand to renewables, powered by a new solar farm just up the road,” he will say.

“Not because Rio Tinto’s executives are closet greenies, but because they want cheaper power and because their international competitors are also switching to cleaner, renewable power.

“If we follow the Coalition and do a U-turn away from renewables, the rest of the world will simply pass us by and steal those very industries and the jobs they produce.”

In an interview with this masthead last month, Crisafulli was resolute his government’s energy policies would not be swayed by federal colleagues.

“My view on energy is we have to continue to find a ground free from ideology that makes sure it’s affordable, reliable, sustainable,” he said.

“I want to know my government’s going to deliver me power that is not going to continue to have the massive price spikes that we’ve seen over recent years.

“I want to know that during summer, when the cricket’s on, the power is not going to go off and miss the last few overs.

“And I want to know that my government is heading on a pathway towards reducing emissions so I can play my part like [other] people across the globe. I just think that’s pretty normal.”

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