Labor’s biggest climate problem is itself

Anthony Albanese doesn’t need to convince the majority of Australian voters to support his plan for net zero emissions by 2050. Let me say that again: Labor doesn’t need to “sell” its climate change policy. Instead, it’s an issue that needs to be managed.

Anthony Albanese.

The assumption that every prescription taken to an election must get majority support is just one of those fallacies of political analysis. As noted before, no one would seriously assert that Labor’s tenth-order campaign promise to “increase the numbers of doctors in remote, rural and regional Australia” got a thumbs down from the voters when they elected the Coalition in May last year. People voted primarily on other stuff. Not everything in a campaign is a vote decider; in fact, most of it isn’t.

It is revisionism of the highest order to describe climate policy as meaningfully responsible for Labor’s 2019 defeat. The fault for the loss of that winnable contest lies with the big juicy targets the party presented to the government, most importantly the thing the Coalition (and some in the media, helpfully) dubbed “the retirement tax,” along with the fictional “death tax” and the very real housing policy — probably in that order. Throw in Bill Shorten’s evasive demeanour and longer-term doubts about Labor and the economy (which both Bob Hawke and Kevin Rudd also had to deal with to win office), and it was a perfect storm.

Read the story from Inside Story by Peter Brent - “Labor’s biggest climate problem is itself.”

Morrison’s ‘arrogance’ on climate blasted as Australia accused of ‘trying to destroy’ Pacific islands

Labor has accused Scott Morrison of trashing Australia’s standing in the Pacific and alienating its friends at the Pacific Islands Forum in Tuvalu, while a former president of Kiribati has urged Australia’s membership to be reviewed.

Labor’s shadow foreign affairs
 minister, Penny Wong, says
Scott Morrison has ‘undermined the
Pacific step-up’ with his behaviour
 at the Pacific Islands Forum.

Anote Tong said the forum should consider possible sanctions or suspension of Australia for its continued “protestations” on coal and climate.

“What is the relevance of Australia’s ongoing protestations in the forum?,” he said. “If it’s going to continue with that line, it poses a danger to the other countries in that forum.

“How can you justify being part of a family and part of a group which you’re trying to destroy?”

Read the story from The Guardian by Lisa Cox and AAP - “Morrison’s ‘arrogance’ on climate blasted as Australia accused of ‘trying to destroy’ Pacific islands.”

Scientists want to build trust in science and technology. The alternative is too risky to contemplate

New research shows that despite differences in their funding commitments, major political parties in Australia – the Coalition, Labor and the Greens – see science and technology as important aspects of our economy and future prosperity.

Not everyone trusts that science will bring benefits to society.

But that’s not enough.

It’s also crucial that the Australian public is able to have a say on priorities for scientific research and its applications. The social license of science depends on being able to engage with the public. Without this, scientists and other experts risk losing public trust.

This could have real implications for achieving the public good when it comes to emerging disruptive technologies (like robotics and AI), the environment (including climate change) and more.

Read the story from The Conversation - “Scientists want to build trust in science and technology. The alternative is too risky to contemplate.”

Labor pledges solar panels for schools in $1 billion program

Labor will pledge up to $1 billion to install solar panels at thousands of schools in an ambitious scheme to create "virtual power plants" that put energy back into the electricity grid.

Labor has pledged up to $1 billion in funding to install
 panels on schools, creating 'virtual power plants'.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will outline the plan on Tuesday with a claim it could "drive down electricity bills for households and businesses" as well as help schools cut their energy bills.

Read the story from The Age by David Crowe - “Labor pledges solar panels for schools in $1 billion program.”

Costing climate change policy ‘impossible’: Labor

Labor has conceded it is “impossible” to cost its climate change policies because there is no direct carbon tax or price on business. 

Labor says it will use existing climate change
mechanisms to enforce its own policies.

After weeks of sustained pressure about the impact of the cost of its plans to deal with climate change – including Bill Shorten’s celebrated clash with a television reporter who demanded he “answer the question” – the ALP now says there is simply no answer. 

Its admission follows wild estimates by critics of the impact of Labor’s policy, which have varied from $25 billion to $60 billion.

Read The New Daily story by Samatha Maiden - “Costing climate change policy ‘impossible’: Labor.”

Battle over climate change costs

Labor says its emissions reduction policy is impossible to cost as businesses will take the reins on how to reduce their own pollution, after the Coalition put the bill at up to $26 billion.

Labor’s climate change spokesman Mark Butler has hit back at the Federal Government’s latest modelling, saying the figures were ‘‘utterly ridiculous’’.

‘‘It is inherently impossible to model in a precise way, because what we’re doing is leaving this up to business,’’ he told ABC News yesterday.

‘‘That’s what business has asked us to do.’’

Businesses asked for the lowest cost range of offsets and could also change how they operate to reduce pollution, he said.

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has pointed to analysis by his policy team putting the cost for business between $13 billion and $26 billion across 10 years under Labor’s measures.

Mr Butler said the modelling was based on ‘‘ridiculous’’ assumptions, including that not a single company would do anything domestically to reduce emissions.

Offsets would cost four times what the government’s own ‘‘climate solutions’’ modelling suggested.

Labor was proposing an emissions reduction target of 45 per cent by 2030 on 2005 levels, compared to the Coalition’s goal of a 26 per cent reduction.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has demanded Labor leader Bill Shorten reveal the economic cost of higher targets.

The cost of Labor’s policy largely rests on the price of international carbon offsets, which the top 250 polluters could buy if they did not adequately reduce pollution.

The Investor Group on Climate Change said companies were already considering carbon pricing in strategies and investment decisions.

AGL, Bluescope, BHP Billiton, Chevron and Rio Tinto were among companies that applied carbon prices to decisions, with prices ranging to $12.50 a tonne at present to $140 a tonne by 2040.

Bloomberg New Energy Finance special projects boss Kobad Bhavnagri said it was impossible to know the price of international offsets past 2020 as the United Nations had not developed the rules to govern the market.

Mr Bhavnagri said forecasts were always overestimated.

‘‘That is because forecasters like me cannot anticipate human ingenuity and innovation,’’ he said.

The Australia Institute said failing to act on climate change would have a greater cost on the economy, with losses to agricultural production and impacts on human health.

Story from The Shepparton News - “Battle over climate change costs.”

Labor’s climate change policy explained: here's what we know

Just days before the federal election is called, Labor has released the final component of its climate change policy. 

Bill Shorten charges an electric car after launching
Labor’s climate change policy in Canberra on Monday. 

Scott Morrison has promptly declared it is carbon tax 2.0 and the regulations will impose massive costs on Australians. Given this partisan debate, which has paralysed Australian politics for a decade, has been characterised by hyperbole and misinformation, let’s work through this latest policy instalment, sector by sector, and then consider the implications.

Read the story from The Guardian by Katharine Murphy - “Labor’s climate change policy explained: here's what we know.”

‘Fake action': Labor will not use Kyoto credits in major new emissions package

Labor will ban the use of Kyoto credits to meet Australia’s Paris climate commitments in a key decision that opens up a gulf between Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten on the environment just weeks out from the federal election.

Labor leader Bill Shorten knows environment policy carries political risk.

Ridiculing the Coalition's use of carryover credits as “fake action on climate change,” Mr Shorten will end months of secrecy on Monday by unveiling how Labor plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 45 per cent on 2005 levels by 2030 if elected in May.

The decision is part of a broad policy platform that includes subsidised solar batteries for 100,000 homes, a $10 billion boost to the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and a national electric vehicle target of 50 per cent of new car sales by 2030.

Read the story from The Age by Eryk Bagshaw - “‘Fake action': Labor will not use Kyoto credits in major new emissions package.”

Julie Bishop calls for climate change consensus ahead of election

Hong Kong | Former deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop has revived calls for the Coalition to secure bipartisan support with Labor on energy policy and resolve divisions within the party on climate change ahead of the federal election as she urged voters not to "write us off”.

Former deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop has revived
 calls for the Coalition to secure bipartisan support
with Labor on energy policy, and resolve differences
 within the party on climate change.

In a speech to the Hong Kong business community on Friday, Ms Bishop will also stress the conundrum facing politicians pitching to an electorate comfortable with decades of economic comfort and divided over whether the government was interfering too much or doing too little.

Ms Bishop singled out energy policy and climate change as being at the heart of political disruption in Australia, noting the National Energy Guarantee was the closest the Coalition had come to achieving consensus with Labor.

Read the story from the Financial Review by Michael Smith - “Julie Bishop calls for climate change consensus ahead of election.”

Labor announces environmental overhaul, avoiding pre-election internal battle

Labor will introduce a new Australian environment act and create a commonwealth environmental protection agency, Bill Shorten has announced.

The shadow environment minister, Tony Burke, delivers his
 speech at Labor’s national conference on Sunday. 

Shorten made the commitment in his opening address to the 48th Labor national conference in Adelaide on Sunday, kicking the event off with two key concessions to the Labor Environment Action Network (Lean).

The announcement defused tension as a deal was reached before a possible conference-floor fight but Shorten’s speech was still overshadowed in part by protesters urging Labor to stop the Adani Carmichael coalmine.

Read the story from The Guardian by Paul Karp and Lisa Cox - “Labor announces environmental overhaul, avoiding pre-election internal battle.”

Labor backs Greens plan to block Coalition from underwriting coal power

Labor and the Greens will attempt to prevent the Morrison government from underwriting new coal-fired power as the energy policy battle moves into its next phase.

The leader of the Australian Greens, Senator Richard Di Natale,
 centre, speaks to the leader of the opposition in the Senate,
 Penny Wong.

Labor on Tuesday resolved to support a Greens bill stopping the commonwealth from providing financial assistance to coal-fired power plants, and there is an effort to secure the requisite parliamentary numbers for an upset as the Morrison government moves ahead with its controversial energy package. Negotiations are under way with crossbenchers in both chambers.

The government secured a rubber stamp from the Coalition party room on Tuesday for policy measures aimed to reduce power prices, including a contentious divestiture power, but Guardian Australia revealed on Monday night ministers had to rework the original proposal substantially to head off a backbench revolt.

Read the story from The Guardian by Katharine Murphy - “Labor backs Greens plan to block Coalition from underwriting coal power.”

Labor poised to sign off on long-awaited energy plan

Labor is close to finalising its much-anticipated plan to cut carbon emissions from Australia's polluting electricity sector, which is expected to include a framework modelled on the now-defunct National Energy Guarantee.

Labor has previously criticised the government for stepping
 away from the National Energy Guarantee to cut emissions
 from electricity.

Fairfax Media understands that shadow cabinet is on Monday expected to consider the plan, which would outline how a future Labor government would implement its climate change targets for the electricity sector, including a 45 per cent cut in emissions.

The Coalition government dumped the National Energy Guarantee soon after Scott Morrison replaced Malcolm Turnbull as Prime Minister in September. That policy would have reduced emissions from the electricity sector and improved reliability and affordability.

Labor criticised the move, but its attack on the government over energy policy has been weakened by the fact that it has revealed few concrete plans of its own.

Read the story from The Age by Nicole Hasham - “Labor poised to sign off on long-awaited energy plan.”

Greens seek to shame Labor by vowing to restore carbon tax

A new clash over a carbon tax will shape the next election as the Greens launch a campaign to reinstate a price on carbon, challenging Labor to embrace the policy as the strongest way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Greens climate change spokesman Adam
Bandt and Labor leader Bill Shorten.CREDIT:

The Greens will vow to restore the carbon price put into place in 2011 and scrapped in 2014, telling voters the Parliament can reinstate the policy as if the scheme had never been repealed by the Coalition.

But it will drop the fixed price in the first three years of the original carbon tax and instead promise a market price linked to overseas carbon schemes.

Read the story from The Age by David Crowe - “Greens seek to shame Labor by vowing to restore carbon tax.”

‘Low expectations': Business loses hope in Coalition's climate credentials as eyes turn to Labor

Labor is under pressure to revive the Coalition government’s floundering national energy plan as business groups abandon hopes that the Morrison administration can end Australia's crippling climate wars.

Labor is under pressure to revive the government's energy plan.

New Energy Minister Angus Taylor on Tuesday spruiked his commitment to lowering electricity prices, saying his government would apply the same commitment to the task as it did in tackling illegal boat arrivals.

Read the story from The Age by Nicole Hasham and Cole Latimer - “‘Low expectations': Business loses hope in Coalition's climate credentials as eyes turn to Labor.”

Parties race to pledge lower power bills as energy contest heats up

Households will be promised a $165 cut to their electricity bills in a new political contest on energy, as Labor and the Coalition race to announce tough new measures on big retailers, including penalties for price gouging.

Both major party's are promising lower power prices.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will reveal plans for simpler bills with “capped” prices under a Labor government, assuring voters he will force the big electricity companies to scrap “standing offers” that push up costs.

The move comes as Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull also prepares a power price crackdown that will set a price range for default electricity packages and fine the big retailers if they exceed the cap.

Read the story by David Crowe from The Age - “Parties race to pledge lower power bills as energy contest heats up.”

(The conversation about carbon emissions has been hijacked - all Australians, from our politician down, should have one prime concern and that is about how we go about reducing the country’s carbon dioxide emissions, that matter of costs should be secondary consideration, for if we don’t pay now we most certainly will later. Determined to preserve his job, Malcolm Turnbull, along with his coalition cohort, have changed the conversation from one which should have clearly, and responsibly, been about reducing Australia’s carbon emissions, to one that is purely about price.

The Australian electorate is price-sensitive and so the Labor Party and most other politicians, not The Greens, have jumped on board the price band-wagon and are riding it to the abyss - Robert McLean)

Deadlock in Parliament follows Turnbull victory on energy

Labor is holding out against a swift decision on the carbon target for the National Energy Guarantee, in a new stand-off that threatens to stymie a national deal on energy and climate change.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Energy Minister Josh
Frydenberg claimed victory in the Coalition party room
on the National Energy Guarantee.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten accused the federal government of devising a “Frankenstein’s monster of a policy” that did not do enough to tackle global warming, signalling a fight in Parliament and at the next election on the scale of the cuts to greenhouse gas emissions.

The Labor stance means the Turnbull government could struggle to pass its plan in Federal Parliament while facing demands from states and territories that could stall the National Energy Guarantee, the mechanism meant to cut emissions and increase reliability.

Read the story from The Age  by David Crowe - “Deadlock in Parliament follows Turnbull victory on energy.”

Penny Wong says Labor will try and undo Abbott's legacy on climate policy

The shadow foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, says Labor will beef up international approaches to combating climate change, including with work in the Pacific and with Asean countries, in an effort to restore lost credibility as a consequence of repealing the carbon price.

Penny Wong and Tanya Plibersek. The shadow foreign affairs
 minister will argue Tony Abbott’s actions on the carbon price
damaged Australia’s reputation on climate change.

Wong will use a speech to a climate conference in Melbourne on Tuesday to commit Labor to reinstituting the position of climate change ambassador, and broadening Australia’s work in the Pacific through the Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific, the Pacific Islands Forum, the Pacific Community (formerly the South Pacific Commission) and the secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program.

The shadow foreign minister will argue Australia, if it wants to be a serious international player on global warming, needs to demonstrate constructive internationalism.

Read Katherine Murphy’s story from The Guardian - “Penny Wong says Labor will try and undo Abbott's legacy on climate policy.”

Climate truce in sight as Labor warms to National Energy Guarantee

Labor would retain the Turnbull government's cornerstone energy policy but legally enforce deeper emissions cuts on the electricity industry, suggesting elusive bipartisan action on the climate crisis is within reach.

Opposition climate change and energy spokesman
Mark Butler argues Labor would have a strong
 national emissions target.

The pledge is a departure from the emissions intensity scheme Labor took to the 2016 election, and comes days out from pivotal negotiations between the Commonwealth and the states over the design of the Coalition's policy, known as the National Energy Guarantee.

Opposition climate change and energy spokesman Mark Butler on Monday said if the NEG was implemented, a future Labor government would legislate to lift the policy's emissions reduction target for the electricity sector to match Labor’s stronger national target.

Read the story by Nicole Hasham and Cole Latimer from The Age - “Climate truce in sight as Labor warms to National Energy Guarantee.”

Labor and Greens lose bid to stop overhaul of sensitive marine zones

The Turnbull government's bid to wind back protections in sensitive marine areas has been won after the Senate voted down a bid by Labor and the Greens to block the changes.

Environmentalists are incensed at the proposal to
reduce highest-level protections in the Coral Sea.

The government on Tuesday night unexpectedly forced a vote on a Labor disallowance motion that would have vetoed the reduced conservation standards. A vote was not expected for several weeks.

The Greens had pledged to back Labor to block the cuts. However none of the 11 crossbenchers - many caught up in negotiations over the government's company tax cuts in recent days - had committed to supporting the move at the time of the vote.

The motion was defeated 34 votes to 28. A number of senators were absent for the vote.

Read Nicole Hasham’s story from today’s Age - “Labor and Greens lose bid to stop overhaul of sensitive marine zones.”

Labor pushes for federal investigation into Adani

Labor is pressing the Turnbull government for a federal investigation into Adani, arguing the Commonwealth has responsibility for sensitive wetlands contaminated near the Great Barrier Reef after Cyclone Debbie.

Opposition says commonwealth has responsibility
 for sensitive wetlands contaminated near Great Barrier Reef

Guardian Australia revealed last week concerns that Adani submitted an altered laboratory report while appealing a fine for contamination of the Caley Valley wetlands on the Queensland coast.

The wetlands were blackened by coal-laden water released from the Abbot Point port after Cyclone Debbie’s torrential rains inundated its coal storage facilities in March 2017.

Read Katharine Murphy’s story from The Guardian - “Labor pushes for federal investigation into Adani.”