2018-08-13
Senate forces Minister to reveal full NEG modelling
Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today said that the government’s refusal to release the full modelling conducted for the National Energy Guarantee either means that they know the modelling is completely bogus, or it doesn’t actually exist. The Senate has now directed that the government release the full modelling behind the government’s heroic claims that the NEG will reduce power prices by an average of $550 a year. The government must release the documents by 9:00 am on Tuesday, 14th of August.
“The NEG modelling is either full of holes or it doesn’t exist,” said Mr Bandt.
“The government must comply with the Senate’s ruling and release the full modelling, or else confirm it is relying on nothing more than a single Excel spreadsheet.”
“Malcolm Turnbull can’t expect state governments to sign up to a plan when we don’t know if the Liberals have cooked the books.
“All the government has produced so far to support their wild claims is a single Excel spreadsheet.”
“Some of the assumptions behind the Excel spreadsheet look implausible and are inconsistent with independent industry analysis, so we need the full modelling to get to the bottom of it.
“If the government had complete confidence in the price and pollution outcomes of the NEG, they’d release the full modelling voluntarily without being forced to by the Senate.
“Malcolm Turnbull’s promised $550 power bill drop from the NEG is exactly the same amount that Tony Abbott promised from the repeal of the carbon price.
“Since the last time a Liberal Prime Minister promised power bills would drop by $550/yr, prices and pollution have skyrocketed.
“If anyone believe the Liberals’ claim this time that the NEG will deliver a $550 cheque in the mail each year, I have a bridge to sell them.
“There’s also now a proposal for an coal slush fund to be included in the NEG deal, which State Premiers must reject.
“We need to see the full modelling behind these outlandish claims and if the government can’t produce anything more apart from a single Excel spreadsheet, they should ditch the NEG and go back to the drawing board.”
Contact: Gideon Reisner, 0429 109 054
TW: @AdamBandt FB: facebook.com/Adam.Bandt.MP
Text of the successful motion is below:
To move—That the Senate
(a) Notes the failure of the Energy Security Board and Commonwealth to release the full modelling for the proposed final design of the National Energy Guarantee;
(b) Orders that there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for Environment and Energy by no later than 9.00am on Tuesday 14 August 2018, so as to ensure it is available to all members of Parliament to allow Party Room and caucus consideration of the information provided, a copy of all documents within the Minister’s or the Department’s possession or control relating to the full modelling of the final design of the National Energy Guarantee conducted by or on behalf of the Energy Security Board.