Everyone Loses under Labor's Energy Policy

Russell Broadbent here, your Independent Member for Monash.

It doesn’t take a genius to look at Australia’s current energy crisis to work out there’s a problem – a big problem.

Last week in The Australian newspaper there was a scathing piece on Minister Bowen’s poor handling of the energy portfolio.

As the article’s author stated:

1. Our electricity prices are higher – and the government’s energy rebates have done little to ease the hip pocket pain of taxpayers
2. Our energy security risks are rising – how many threats of power blackouts have we had in recent years?
3. Growth in renewables is collapsing;
4. Investment in fossil fuels has fallen; and
5. Australia’s reputation for investment is in dire straits.

Whether you sit in the fossil fuel or renewables camp is irrelevant here. In plain terms – at the moment, everyone’s losing.

We’re seeing higher energy bills. We’re seeing Aussie taxpayers funding unviable subsidies and policies, and we’re seeing approval ratings for renewable and fossil fuel companies alike dropping fast.

We need to cut through all this mess and focus on what really matters to everyday Australians: access to cheap, reliable power.

It is that simple.

I have said it many, many times before: Australia is rich with natural resources. Our competitive advantage is in coal and gas.

Pressing that advantage will make sure every Australian can benefit from the natural wealth of this nation.

That way, everyone can be a winner. 

That’s justice as I see it.