2021-05-07
Plans to spend nearly $60 million more of taxpayers money on gas projects will result in a slower transition to renewable energy in Australia. Budget plans leaked today show the government is determined to undermine any efforts, market or otherwise, to reduce emissions.
This comes a day after an executive veto by a Minister on a Northern Australia Infrastructure Fund to invest in a renewable energy project in Queensland.
Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, has called on Labor to choose renewables and join the Greens in opposing the Liberals’ so-called ‘gas-led recovery’ when Parliament resumes next week and the Senate votes on a government bill to allow spending of public money on new coal and gas infrastructure through the Northern Australia Infrastructure Fund.
Far from being part of the recovery, the gas industry cut its workforce by 10% over the course of 2020.
Quotes attributable to Greens Leader, Adam Bandt:
“Gas is the new coal,” Bandt said.
“If you don’t have a plan to get out of coal and gas, you don’t have a plan to deal with the climate crisis.”
“Gas is also causing us and our children harm, directly responsible for around 12% of childhood asthma rates and increasing asthma severity.
“The Liberals are boosting gas and blocking renewable energy.
“More gas means less renewable energy backed by batteries. More gas means fewer jobs. More gas means more emissions and more pollution.
“Scott Morrison may have lost his lump of coal, but his transition to gas-monger is just a fossil-fuel rebranding exercise that will do nothing for emissions.
“Labor needs to stop voting with the Liberals to give public money to coal and gas.”
The IPCC last year recognised the increased potency of gas emissions, upgrading the impact factor to 28 times that of C02.