Daily London
The author of the Liberal Party’s energy review says more coal and nuclear power will be needed to bring down prices.
The party will meet on Wednesday to thrash out its stance on net zero but already senior members are threatening repercussions if they don’t get their way.
But the latest polling shows infighting over how to tackle the climate crisis since the Nationals announced they would ditch the emissions-reduction target has not hurt the Liberals with voters.
Energy and emissions reduction spokesman Dan Tehan, who has been leading the Liberals’ energy review process, was today pushing the idea of “energy abundance”.
That abundance would rely on squeezing more life out of ageing coal fire power stations, many of which announced their intention to close while the Coalition was in power.
“In the same period I think 24 of the 28 coal fire power stations announced or bought forward their closure date,” Labor Senator Jenny McCallister told Sky’s Sunday Agenda.
Conservative Liberal MPs say ditching a net zero carbon reduction pledge will bring prices down. Moderate party members say the opposite.
“Net zero if done properly could reduce power prices and should reduce power prices over time,” Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg told the ABC’s Insiders.
“I think there’s a way through this … the Liberal Party has a plan from the National Party now,” Nationals leader David Littleproud said.
Tehan compared it to “threading a needle”.
“Who went first and who went second, who cares?” he said.
Mcallister said Australians had “already paid the price for the unbelievable division within the coalition over this.”
The November Resolve Political Monitor has Labor ahead 53-47 on a two-party-preferred basis. It is a comfortable lead but the margin is tightening.
Voters were asked their number one issue and 42 per cent said keeping the cost of living low was the priority.
Crime and anti-social behaviour was next with responses in the single digits.
