We'll all pay more for electricity if the government does nothing on climate change

This newspaper has been a critic of Tony Abbott's stance on climate change, but we acknowledge the former prime minister was partly right. At the height of the frequently dishonest debate about climate policy and electricity prices that has dominated so much of Australian public discourse over the past decade, Mr Abbott noted that rising bills would be felt across the economy. It came during his crusade to axe Labor's carbon price, which he promised would cut average household bills by $550 a year.

On both points, he was broadly correct. Rising bills are felt by businesses and households, and the repeal did offer some  businesses, though analyses suggest the size of the reduction was not as great as predicted.

Read the Editorial in today’s Melbourne Age - “We'll all pay more for electricity if the government does nothing on climate change.”