Matt Canavan should stop wagging his finger at those who want climate action

I have mentioned this before, but the mystery persists. Matt Canavan, the federal resources minister, has an economics degree, graduating from the University of Queensland with first class honours.

Matt Canavan has rebuked ‘loud and undemocratic
voices’ he suggests are putting climate pressure
 on resources companies and banks.

Canavan also worked at the Productivity Commission prior to entering politics, first as a staffer for Barnaby Joyce and then as a senator for Queensland.

His professional background would point to a basic level of respect for facts and evidence – unless Canavan was the only staffer ever to work at the Productivity Commission overheard insisting stoutly in the tea room that everything needed to remain just the same, forever. It would also suggest a degree of fluency with the concept of industry transformation, a minor speciality of the commission.

It is possible, of course, that Canavan departed the technocracy and sought refuge in political life in order to enact a state of being called the permanent present, but in any case, let’s not sweat the mystery, because we need to review the latest thinking of the resources minister.

Read the story from The Guardian by Katharine Murphy - “Matt Canavan should stop wagging his finger at those who want climate action.”

Alarmingly low' oil supplies may prompt more drilling in Great Australian Bight, minister warns

Concerns about national security and energy supply could prompt further bids to drill for oil in the Great Australian Bight, the Federal Resources Minister has warned.

Statoil has permission to explore the two light blue areas of the Bight.

In his address to the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association's (APPEA) annual conference in Adelaide on Tuesday, Federal Resources Minister Matt Canavan said the Bight could play a vital role in bolstering Australia's domestic oil supply.

Mr Canavan said Australia's oil production had dropped to alarmingly low levels.

Read Isabel Dayman’s story from ABC News - “‘Alarmingly low' oil supplies may prompt more drilling in Great Australian Bight, minister warns.”

(Rather than taking the easy way out and engage some high-risk drilling for oil in the Great Australian Bight, our government should be following the advice of the Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, and in applying some innovative thinking, explore and understand how we can use renewable energy to power the country and in doing so leave the fossil fuels in the ground - Robert McLean)