Russell Broadbent here, your independent member for Monash.
Last weekend I was interested to read an article in The Weekend Australian in which my friend, Jennie George, shared her disillusionment and despair about Labor’s trajectory on energy policy.
What makes this a story is that Jennie is a former Labor MP and former President of the ACTU.
As she says after closely examining Labor’s energy policy and drilling down on job creation promises and what they meant for workers, Jennie had to decide: “Do I keep my mouth shut …or…do I speak out." She said she felt a responsibility to question.
Energy targets are being spruiked like shiny trophies to legitimise a policy idea that quite frankly is nothing short of absurd. And one that has the potential to threaten the wellbeing of our nation.
This government was elected by the Australian people and its time they began to act in the interests of all Australian people.
The Labor government’s target of 82% Australia's energy being sourced from renewables by 2030 is a reckless goal and it seems they don’t care who gets in the way.
For these renewable projects to go ahead, around 10,000 kilometres of new transmission infrastructure will need to be established. Not only is it eye-wateringly expensive, it’s going to have to occupy fruitful agricultural land and will certainly create disputes and issues for communities all around Australia don't want wind and solar farms in their backyards.
Energy is so vital to this country's productivity, economic prosperity, and most importantly - our independence and freedom. We have the resources, we have the people, and we have choices.
At the end of the day, Australian people will be paying the price - either as taxpayers or consumers - for the efforts of this government desperately reaching for reckless targets putting their own interests above those of the people they supposedly represent.
That's just as I see it.
