Morrison to announce $2 billion over 10 years for climate fun

Scott Morrison will announce $A2 billion over a decade for a Climate Solutions Fund, as the government seeks to counter criticisms that it is not doing enough towards dealing with climate change.

Morrison defends the government’s record on climate
and attacks. Labor’s policy as irresponsible. 

The money will extend the Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF), set up under the Abbott government’s “direct action” program, which at present has only $226 million uncommitted in it. More than $2.3 billion has now been committed under the ERF.

The new money – which will be about $200 million annually starting from January 2020 - will be used to partner with farmers, local government and businesses to reduce emissions. 

Read the piece from The Conversation by Michelle Grattan - “Morrison to announce $2 billion over 10 years for climate fun.”

The government’s $2bn climate fund: a rebadged rehash of old mistakes

Australia’s new flagship Climate Solutions Fund, announced this week by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, will spend more than A$2 billion on cutting greenhouse emissions by 2030.

Scott Morrison has given a new name to an old policy.

While action on climate change is welcomed, this announcement seems to be a faithful reprise of the previous Emissions Reduction Fund, which was beset with problems.

The government has put a new name on an existing scheme, while steadfastly refusing to learn from mistakes made along the way. In cruder terms, it’s slapped a gleaming coat of lipstick onto a pig of a policy.

Add to that the A$1.38 billion pledged today for building the Snowy 2.0 scheme – another plan hatched by one of the government’s former incarnations – and there’s not a lot of imagination on display as Morrison’s government scrambles for some much-needed climate credibility ahead of this year’s election.

Read the piece from The Conversation by a Senior Lecturer in Economics from the The University of Queensland, Ian A. MacKenzie - “The government’s $2bn climate fund: a rebadged rehash of old mistakes.”