29/04/2005 - The Federal
Labor Party has flagged a massively interventionist
energy policy which, if Kim Beazley was ever
elected, would effectively shut down the equivalent
of the whole of Australia's current electricity
production.
Writing in The Age, Labor's Peter Garrett
has revealed a secret plan for a 60 per cent
reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from
Australia's power stations within four and
a half decades. He said:
"...strong overall emissions targets
such as a 60 per cent reduction by 2050 and
a national greenhouse gas emission trading
scheme must be implemented now."
(Peter Garrett, The Age, 28 April, p25)
I have consistently argued that scientists
are saying cuts of up to 60 per cent of greenhouse
gas emissions are needed globally this century,
but pointed out that Australia contributes
just 1.6 per cent of global greenhouse gases.
Labor, on the other hand, is apparently advocating
a 60 per cent cut to this nation's power output.
The Australian Labor state premiers currently
have some 25 coal and gas fired power stations
on the drawing board to meet the nation's
growing energy needs in coming decades.
The Labor policy of reducing greenhouse gas
emissions in Australia by 60 per cent by 2050
would mean an effective cut of around 190
million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions
annually - the equivalent of 20 power stations.
On Wednesday, Victorian Labor Minister Theo
Theophanous admitted to ABC radio that: "yes
we do have some issues in relation to ensuring
that we have some adequate supplies during
the summer period."
Yet his federal counterpart is happy to threaten
the states with inevitable blackouts and power
failures because he prefers to take an ideological,
rather than practical, stance.
Mr Garrett should nominate exactly which
states he wants to cut the power to and which
proposed power stations he wants scrapped.
In the same article Mr Garrett advocates
more taxes or "levies" on energy
users.
The Labor Party continues to offer simply
empty slogans when Australia and the world
need real solutions.
A truly effective international response
to climate change requires the involvement
of all major emitters from developed and developing
economies.
The Australian Government is showing strong
leadership on climate change through its $1.8
billion climate change strategy. The Government's
plan is to create incentives to drive technology
- not imposing taxes that will increase costs
for industry and consumers.
