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| Coalition's energy policy is here, now for the sell – politics live | Coalition's energy policy is here, now for the sell – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 10.56pm BST | |
| 22:56 | |
| Steve Ciobo has also been put out to sell, sell, sell. Speaking to Sky News this morning, he was explaining why renewables on their own were not the answer. | |
| You can’t build an energy policy, you can’t build a country, you can’t build manufacturing, you can’t build reliable energy supply off intermittent power. When the sun’s not shining, what do you do? The key about this approach that the Coalition is putting forward, is if you actually get a commercial approach, which says let’s use solar and batteries for example, if the use of solar and batteries which means it then becomes reliable is put in the market, and that is of course cheaper and more cost effective than burning coal, or burning gas, well then that approach will be adopted by energy retailers. | |
| 10.46pm BST | |
| 22:46 | |
| Of course, everyone is still waiting on the judgement from the high court, sitting as the court of disputed returns. | |
| There is still no word on when that decision will be handed down. | |
| 10.39pm BST | |
| 22:39 | |
| Julie Bishop has released a statement welcoming Australia’s election to the UNHRC. | |
| “Australia will take its seat on 1 January 2018 and is ready to work closely with other countries and civil society to protect and advance human rights around the world. It is in our national interest to shape the work of the Council and uphold the international rules-based order. Respecting fundamental human rights and freedoms, and building them into the fabric of a society, makes Australia and the world safer and more secure. | |
| We will bring to the Council the same principled, pragmatic and consultative approach that distinguished our term on the UN Security Council in 2013-14. Australia will provide a unique Indo-Pacific perspective and ensure that the voices of our Pacific neighbours and other small states are heard. | |
| During our term on the Human Rights Council, we will focus on five key areas: gender equality, freedom of expression, good governance and robust democratic institutions, human rights for indigenous peoples and strong national human rights institutions. Through an emphasis on these issues, we can advance human rights in practical, sensible ways that will have far-reaching systematic effects over time. | |
| Australia will also continue to advocate the abolition of the death penalty worldwide, freedom of religion and belief, the rights of persons with a disability and the rights of LGBTI communities.” | |
| 10.37pm BST | |
| 22:37 | |
| After Tony Abbott’s latest gems of wisdom were dropped on 2GB yesterday, including his belief that if he was to ever come back as leader, he would have to be “drafted”, which he said was almost impossible to imagine, the leadership questions continue | |
| Does Tony Abbott want his job back. Craig Kelly: "Malcolm Turnbull is our PM ... it's silly to try and rule anything out" #auspol | |
| So. Clear as mud. But Abbott also showed his trademark cunning in yesterday’s interview, where he opined that the Coalition’s energy policy should not be “rushed” through the party room. The government wants the framework agreed upon, and the details, we imagine, will come later. Abbott knows details tends to be where the devil dwells. | |
| 10.33pm BST | |
| 22:33 | |
| Labor has started the day on the run | |
| 10.32pm BST | |
| 22:32 | |
| Updated | |
| at 10.42pm BST | |
| 10.30pm BST | |
| 22:30 | |
| Craig Kelly, who heads the government’s backbench energy committee, has been hitting the airwaves since first light and he has many opinions on what his side of the fence is planning on doing. At least broadly, planning on doing. | |
| He told ABC Breakfast what the government is planning to do is even better than the Clean Energy Target and wants Labor to see the light. | |
| Firstly, a lot of the plan is put together by the energy Security Council, which includes the Australian Energy Market Operator. So we believe that we have a mechanism here that is superior to the clean energy target. And I am sure all of those groups, once they see the detail released by the Prime Minister today, will come on board and say this is good. That’s why I say it gets back the final missing part of the jigsaw is the Labor Party’s agreement. We need bipartisanship going forward. We hope they abandon their 50% Renewable Energy Target, come on board the Coalition and finally in this nation we can have a bipartisan policy on energy going forward which gives us the certainty we need. | |
| 10.18pm BST | 10.18pm BST |
| 22:18 | 22:18 |
| Everybody, welcome the NEG | Everybody, welcome the NEG |
| Katharine Murphy | Katharine Murphy |
| Good morning everyone, as Amy has mentioned, today is energy day. We will get details of the policy later on, once it has made its way through the party room, but in the meantime, here’s the outlines of what backbenchers were told by the prime minister and the energy minister last night. | Good morning everyone, as Amy has mentioned, today is energy day. We will get details of the policy later on, once it has made its way through the party room, but in the meantime, here’s the outlines of what backbenchers were told by the prime minister and the energy minister last night. |
| The new mechanism is called the national energy guarantee – or the NEG. As I flagged in the news coverage this morning, the new mechanism will contain two obligations which will be imposed on electricity retailers: a reliability obligation (meaning they will have to be able to supply mandated quantities of dispatchable energy) and an emissions reduction obligation. | The new mechanism is called the national energy guarantee – or the NEG. As I flagged in the news coverage this morning, the new mechanism will contain two obligations which will be imposed on electricity retailers: a reliability obligation (meaning they will have to be able to supply mandated quantities of dispatchable energy) and an emissions reduction obligation. |
| The NEG, according to their briefing late last night, contains a penalty regime. If retailers don’t meet the two mandated requirements (reliability and emissions reduction) within a certain period of time, they will be deregistered. | The NEG, according to their briefing late last night, contains a penalty regime. If retailers don’t meet the two mandated requirements (reliability and emissions reduction) within a certain period of time, they will be deregistered. |
| The emissions reduction target, according to the backbenchers briefing, will be a 26% reduction on 2005 levels by 2030 – which is the same as Australia’s commitment to the Paris international climate agreement, and similar to the target Alan Finkel suggested. | The emissions reduction target, according to the backbenchers briefing, will be a 26% reduction on 2005 levels by 2030 – which is the same as Australia’s commitment to the Paris international climate agreement, and similar to the target Alan Finkel suggested. |
| That trajectory will apply to the electricity sector. | That trajectory will apply to the electricity sector. |
| While backbenchers are already quibbling with that, suggesting too much too soon, if trajectory is correct, that’s a low ball target. Without confusing everyone with too much detail, think of it this way: the less the electricity sector contributes to Australia’s emissions reduction effort, the more other sectors of the economy will have to contribute if we are to meet our Paris obligations. | While backbenchers are already quibbling with that, suggesting too much too soon, if trajectory is correct, that’s a low ball target. Without confusing everyone with too much detail, think of it this way: the less the electricity sector contributes to Australia’s emissions reduction effort, the more other sectors of the economy will have to contribute if we are to meet our Paris obligations. |
| The Climate Change Authority has said that the emissions intensity of Australian electricity sector needs to come down 69% between 2015 and 2030. That’s obviously a lot more than the 26% reduction under consideration. | The Climate Change Authority has said that the emissions intensity of Australian electricity sector needs to come down 69% between 2015 and 2030. That’s obviously a lot more than the 26% reduction under consideration. |
| 10.10pm BST | 10.10pm BST |
| 22:10 | 22:10 |
| Paul Karp | Paul Karp |
| Foreign minister, Julie Bishop, has responded to Australia’s election to the United Nations Human Rights Council, the first time Australia has been elected to the body. | Foreign minister, Julie Bishop, has responded to Australia’s election to the United Nations Human Rights Council, the first time Australia has been elected to the body. |
| Bishop told Radio National that the fact Australia had won 176 votes was a “very strong endorsement of the international community of Australia as a contributing member to the UN generally but specifically we are a principled and a pragmatic voice when it comes to human rights”. | Bishop told Radio National that the fact Australia had won 176 votes was a “very strong endorsement of the international community of Australia as a contributing member to the UN generally but specifically we are a principled and a pragmatic voice when it comes to human rights”. |
| Bishop says Australia’s focus will be the empowerment of women, Indigenous rights, strong domestic human rights institutions, the abolition of the death penalty and human rights crises around the world including in North Korea and Syria. | Bishop says Australia’s focus will be the empowerment of women, Indigenous rights, strong domestic human rights institutions, the abolition of the death penalty and human rights crises around the world including in North Korea and Syria. |
| Asked about the human rights records of of other council members, Bishop said the council is a chance to scrutinise them and Australia supports a US-led push to reform the council so those with “appalling records are subject to greater scrutiny”. | Asked about the human rights records of of other council members, Bishop said the council is a chance to scrutinise them and Australia supports a US-led push to reform the council so those with “appalling records are subject to greater scrutiny”. |
| Responding to the fact Australia’s record will be examined by the human rights committee, Bishop said it was “standard procedure” rather than Australia being “hauled” before the committee. | Responding to the fact Australia’s record will be examined by the human rights committee, Bishop said it was “standard procedure” rather than Australia being “hauled” before the committee. |
| She defended Australia’s record on treatment of asylum seekers, arguing Australia was closing down detention centres and had “smashed the people-smuggling trade”. | She defended Australia’s record on treatment of asylum seekers, arguing Australia was closing down detention centres and had “smashed the people-smuggling trade”. |
| 10.08pm BST | 10.08pm BST |
| 22:08 | 22:08 |
| Good morning and happy energy day | Good morning and happy energy day |
| We hope you had a good night’s rest, because the Turnbull government has been out early laying the groundwork for it’s energy policy to end all energy policies. At least it hopes so. | We hope you had a good night’s rest, because the Turnbull government has been out early laying the groundwork for it’s energy policy to end all energy policies. At least it hopes so. |
| After claiming ownership of the issue, Malcolm Turnbull promised a solution. So far we have the basic framework for that decision–the clean energy target is reportedly out, but we’ll still have Paris. More coming, imminently, on that. | After claiming ownership of the issue, Malcolm Turnbull promised a solution. So far we have the basic framework for that decision–the clean energy target is reportedly out, but we’ll still have Paris. More coming, imminently, on that. |
| In other news, Australia won its seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council, but rather awkwardly, a coalition of non-government-organisations are also presenting a report on some of Australia’s human rights failings, including the nation’s treatment of indigenous people and asylum seekers, in Geneva. | In other news, Australia won its seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council, but rather awkwardly, a coalition of non-government-organisations are also presenting a report on some of Australia’s human rights failings, including the nation’s treatment of indigenous people and asylum seekers, in Geneva. |
| But it’s all energy, all the time, with Turnbull government ministers about to give the Energy Bunny a lesson in endurance as they prepare to battle not only Labor, but their own party room. And that’s before they even start with voters. | But it’s all energy, all the time, with Turnbull government ministers about to give the Energy Bunny a lesson in endurance as they prepare to battle not only Labor, but their own party room. And that’s before they even start with voters. |
| Mike Bowers is back with us today, so make sure you get in touch with him at @mpbowers or take a look at some of the behind the scenes here. You can reach me in the comments, or more directly, on Twitter at @amyremeikis | Mike Bowers is back with us today, so make sure you get in touch with him at @mpbowers or take a look at some of the behind the scenes here. You can reach me in the comments, or more directly, on Twitter at @amyremeikis |
| Will we reach the heights of yesterday? Time will only tell. Grab that coffee and we shall begin. | Will we reach the heights of yesterday? Time will only tell. Grab that coffee and we shall begin. |