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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2017/oct/17/coalitions-energy-policy-is-here-now-for-the-sell-politics-live
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| Version 7 | Version 8 |
|---|---|
| Coalition party room approves energy policy – politics live | Coalition party room approves energy policy – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 3.06am BST | |
| 03:06 | |
| Katharine Murphy is receiving a briefing on the NEG. Here is a bit from what we know so far | |
| On emissions reduction trajectory, govt says we can assume 26% on 2005 by 2030. Govt will have to legislate that target @AmyRemeikis #auspol | |
| The energy market regulators will work out the required emissions reduction trajectory year by year @AmyRemeikis #auspol | |
| The reliability obligation will be assessed state by state. Will be imposed within the national energy market rules @AmyRemeikis #auspol | |
| 3.03am BST | |
| 03:03 | |
| Hastie also has a bit to say about the Australian Defence Force policy on gender reassignment surgery, in that they will fund it. The ADF have treated 27 cases of gender dysphoria over the past five years, at a cost of $1m. | |
| Marise Payne defended it in the Senate against attacks from Pauline Hanson yesterday. | |
| Hastie, speaking to the Sky News, takes us on a trip down memory lane to 2005 when he was a third year cadet at ADFA and he was addressed by Rear Admiral James Goldrick, who told the room “some of you may have joined the Defence Force for your own reasons, but the bottom line is you are here to prepare to fight Australia’s wars and win those wars” and that has been his view. | |
| So if we accept that premise that the ADF exists to fight and win Australia’s wars, then we need a really good war fighting capability and we need to be selective with our personnel.” | |
| Hastie says the ADF is selective with its personnel and tells stories of “young Australians who wanted to join the ADF but have been denied.” | |
| One friend of mine who now farms north of Tamworth was denied because he had a rugby injury with his shoulder. I had another constituent very recently, who is a young tradesman, who had a very, very mild shellfish allergy and he was knocked back from Defence and then I had someone else, who is a national track athlete who has been in remission from cancer for sometime and he was knocked back and he was knocked back by Defence as well, because of their perceived on-going health costs. So, you know, we are selective and my view is, if you present with gender dysphoria then you absolutely need help, psychological help and counselling, but we need to be very, very judicious in how we spend taxpayers money and the bottom line, is, as I have said, is our war fighting capability. | |
| 2.49am BST | |
| 02:49 | |
| Andrew Hastie has also been out and about on the sell. | |
| Basically, what we are doing is, we are going to bring a mechanism to bear on the market whereby energy retailers will be forced to buy coal, gas, for every megawatt hour of renewable energy they purchase. So we are moving incentives, the economic incentives away from exclusively the renewable sector and broadening them out and that will drive down prices, it will also make energy more reliable and affordable for Australian people.” | |
| 2.31am BST | 2.31am BST |
| 02:31 | 02:31 |
| You may remember the Greens leader Richard Di Natale has promised to stop the Queensland Adani mine by any means necessary, including standing in front of bulldozers, arrest threat be damned. | You may remember the Greens leader Richard Di Natale has promised to stop the Queensland Adani mine by any means necessary, including standing in front of bulldozers, arrest threat be damned. |
| George Christensen, whose electorate relies heavily on mining jobs, had a different idea. | George Christensen, whose electorate relies heavily on mining jobs, had a different idea. |
| George Christensen wants coal mine protestors (including @RichardDiNatale) to be charged with terrorism and serve 1+ yrs in prison. pic.twitter.com/cYH18kx3M9 | George Christensen wants coal mine protestors (including @RichardDiNatale) to be charged with terrorism and serve 1+ yrs in prison. pic.twitter.com/cYH18kx3M9 |
| 2.20am BST | 2.20am BST |
| 02:20 | 02:20 |
| The alert which went out with Malcolm Turnbull’s video named it the National Energy Guarantee. So it’s official. It’s the NEG | The alert which went out with Malcolm Turnbull’s video named it the National Energy Guarantee. So it’s official. It’s the NEG |
| The PM has announced a national energy guarantee to deliver affordable and reliable electricity. WATCH it here first https://t.co/TifMa8k111 | The PM has announced a national energy guarantee to deliver affordable and reliable electricity. WATCH it here first https://t.co/TifMa8k111 |
| 2.14am BST | 2.14am BST |
| 02:14 | 02:14 |
| Gareth Hutchens | Gareth Hutchens |
| Labor caucus met this morning. | Labor caucus met this morning. |
| It was the last full caucus meeting before the results of the same-sex marriage postal vote are announced. | |
| Given the timing, they resolved that in the event a yes vote prevails in the survey, Labor will push for the Turnbull government to pass Dean Smith’s private members’ bill as soon as possible. | |
| They say Smith’s bill is consistent with the key recommendations of the unanimous Senate committee report, and believe it will strike an “acceptable compromise” between achieving marriage equality and protecting religious freedoms. | |
| They also noted Labor’s position on the conscience vote on same-sex marriage (they will let party members vote as individuals) but said if a yes vote is returned they will push for Smith’s bill to be passed in its current form. | |
| Updated | |
| at 3.09am BST | |
| 2.14am BST | 2.14am BST |
| 02:14 | 02:14 |
| Progress at today's party room. The Clean Energy Target has been definitively dropped. | Progress at today's party room. The Clean Energy Target has been definitively dropped. |
| 2.09am BST | 2.09am BST |
| 02:09 | 02:09 |
| Someone came prepared. Just minutes after the party room sided with the energy policy, the prime minister’s office released a video on Facebook. It is all very uplifting. Affordability! Reliability! Security! All of the “itys”! Tellingly, the video does not say how much power bills will drop by, though. | |
| Updated | |
| at 3.06am BST | |
| 2.02am BST | 2.02am BST |
| 02:02 | 02:02 |
| Katharine Murphy | Katharine Murphy |
| A bit more detail about the NEG | A bit more detail about the NEG |
| I’ve happened across a briefing note prepared for the government by the Australian Energy Market Commission which gives more detail about the energy overhaul. | |
| The briefing paper confirms two new obligations will be imposed on retailers “and the small number of large users of electricity who have registered as direct participants in the wholesale market”. | |
| These obligations are for reliability support and emissions reduction. They would commence from 2020 and RET-financed projects would be grandfathered from that date. | These obligations are for reliability support and emissions reduction. They would commence from 2020 and RET-financed projects would be grandfathered from that date. |
| The obligations would require wholesale ‘market customers’ to enter into contracts for sufficient generation to meet a specified component of their electricity load with dispatchable generation,” the briefing paper says. “Concurrently, they would also be required to meet their electricity requirements with generation resources that met a specified emissions reduction goal. | |
| “This would mean that retailers would need to establish a portfolio of contracts or direct generation sources with existing and new dispatchable generation or verifiable demand response – to meet their reliability requirements – and with low emitting and renewables generation – to meet their emissions reduction obligations. | |
| “This will address issues with the RET by incentivising investment not just in a specific type of capacity but instead in a range of technologies that can both lower emissions and be dispatched to meet system requirements.” | |
| That’s all clear enough. The briefing paper argues electricity prices will come down for two reasons. It’s a lot more complicated than what I’m about to share, but let’s start with this observation. | |
| As discussed above, a major contributor to the current relatively high wholesale prices has been the undermining of the contract market by the volume of capacity financed outside the national electricity market via the RET and, policy uncertainty with respect to the mechanism that will be used to achieve Australia’s emission reduction target.” | |
| So the AEMC says prices will come down once the market knows what the carbon policy will be, and once the RET (which is a system which generates certificates) trends out of the system. | So the AEMC says prices will come down once the market knows what the carbon policy will be, and once the RET (which is a system which generates certificates) trends out of the system. |
| Now, to the emissions reduction obligation. | Now, to the emissions reduction obligation. |
| This sort of scheme could work in parallel with a separate emissions reduction obligation on retailers and large users,” the AEMC says. “In addition to a requirement to hedge their load, there would be a further requirement for that energy consumption to meet an emissions intensity target. | |
| “This target would need to be derived for the electricity sector from the government-set emissions reduction goal. That target would then translate into an obligation for a particular generation emissions profile that would need to be achieved across the sector. | |
| “The AEMC or Clean Energy Regulator could be tasked with translating the government’s goal into a sector-specific target. This obligation would work with the contract market in a similar way to the reliability obligation. | |
| “Retailers would be required to meet their load obligations from generation with a particular emissions intensity – for example, below a historical average level. This would incentivise retailers and large users to contract with renewable or low emissions generators, balancing the need for dispatchable capacity with their emissions intensity. | |
| “This would create additional incentives for investment in low emitting but firm generation capacity, allowing those generators, such as solar thermal, to attract a premium.” | “This would create additional incentives for investment in low emitting but firm generation capacity, allowing those generators, such as solar thermal, to attract a premium.” |
| I’m off to a briefing shortly. | I’m off to a briefing shortly. |
| As they say in the classics, more to come. | As they say in the classics, more to come. |
| Updated | |
| at 3.04am BST | |
| 1.59am BST | 1.59am BST |
| 01:59 | 01:59 |
| So now we wait to see the outcome of the Coalition signing off on the new energy policy. There have been some questions over whether or not it needs to be legislated. The short answer is, it doesn’t seem so, but we don’t have all the detail. If it is just a regulation change, they won’t need to put it through parliament. But we’ll know more very soon. | |
| Updated | |
| at 2.58am BST | |
| 1.44am BST | 1.44am BST |
| 01:44 | 01:44 |
| So the Neg is alive. (Every time I hear that term I just think of negging and wonder if anyone ever Googles these things before they name them and then I remember, no, they don’t.) | |
| And James McGrath has left the Coalition party room early to appear on Sky with Laura Jayes, to say he can’t talk about party room. | And James McGrath has left the Coalition party room early to appear on Sky with Laura Jayes, to say he can’t talk about party room. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.57am BST | |
| 1.35am BST | 1.35am BST |
| 01:35 | 01:35 |
| The Coalition party room has approved the energy policy | The Coalition party room has approved the energy policy |
| Press conference to come | Press conference to come |
| 1.32am BST | 1.32am BST |
| 01:32 | 01:32 |
| Paul Karp | Paul Karp |
| Pauline Hanson and Malcolm Roberts have held a media conference to claim credit for what they call a backdown in government policy. | Pauline Hanson and Malcolm Roberts have held a media conference to claim credit for what they call a backdown in government policy. |
| “It’s RIP for the RET,” Roberts said, before mixing metaphors and warning renewable targets may be put “on steroids before being given the kiss of death”. | “It’s RIP for the RET,” Roberts said, before mixing metaphors and warning renewable targets may be put “on steroids before being given the kiss of death”. |
| Roberts is worried that the $115 saving the government is claiming will occur may come after a further increase in prices. Roberts brandished a graph of energy prices increasing relative to inflation, labelled “Di Natale hockey stick”. | Roberts is worried that the $115 saving the government is claiming will occur may come after a further increase in prices. Roberts brandished a graph of energy prices increasing relative to inflation, labelled “Di Natale hockey stick”. |
| When asked if One Nation caused the government to move on renewables and drop the clean energy target, Hanson replied: “I do take credit for that, we’ve been very vocal on this from the very beginning.” | When asked if One Nation caused the government to move on renewables and drop the clean energy target, Hanson replied: “I do take credit for that, we’ve been very vocal on this from the very beginning.” |
| Roberts attacked proposals for demand management, which he summarised as “where the producer of the product pays people not to take its product – this is nuts”. “We’re seeing an energy market that is really an energy racket, the energy market is completely destroyed.” | Roberts attacked proposals for demand management, which he summarised as “where the producer of the product pays people not to take its product – this is nuts”. “We’re seeing an energy market that is really an energy racket, the energy market is completely destroyed.” |
| Roberts said the government’s new policy was “an atrocious policy dressed up with lies around it”. When it was pointed out that One Nation was claiming credit for it, Roberts clarified “I took credit for the language” – perhaps a reference to his earlier claim that “coal” is no longer a dirty word. | Roberts said the government’s new policy was “an atrocious policy dressed up with lies around it”. When it was pointed out that One Nation was claiming credit for it, Roberts clarified “I took credit for the language” – perhaps a reference to his earlier claim that “coal” is no longer a dirty word. |
| When asked for their solution – Roberts said abolish all subsidies for renewables including the RET and to let the states take responsibility for their own energy needs, breaking apart the east coast electricity market. | When asked for their solution – Roberts said abolish all subsidies for renewables including the RET and to let the states take responsibility for their own energy needs, breaking apart the east coast electricity market. |
| “It will generate investment in the cheapest forms of energy, which is hydro and coal,” he said, before adding nuclear would also provide synchronous energy and One Nation was “open to considering it”. | “It will generate investment in the cheapest forms of energy, which is hydro and coal,” he said, before adding nuclear would also provide synchronous energy and One Nation was “open to considering it”. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.09am BST | at 2.09am BST |
| 1.19am BST | 1.19am BST |
| 01:19 | 01:19 |
| In between the party room meetings, One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts has been spreading his gems of wisdom about the Coalition’s energy policy among the Canberra press gallery. | In between the party room meetings, One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts has been spreading his gems of wisdom about the Coalition’s energy policy among the Canberra press gallery. |
| Despite his leader claiming the credit ... | Despite his leader claiming the credit ... |
| Good to see the Gov plans to scrap RET & CET like One Nation has been suggesting. About time they joined us in the 21st century. -PH #auspol | Good to see the Gov plans to scrap RET & CET like One Nation has been suggesting. About time they joined us in the 21st century. -PH #auspol |
| ... Roberts is not a fan. | ... Roberts is not a fan. |
| Now they are not telling everyone that they are actually putting the RET on steroids before they give it the kiss of death. So we are going to have an increase in power prices even more dramatic than we were expecting and then they are going to kill it off. So the government tells us they are going to cut power prices by $115 a year. What they are not telling us is how much power prices will increase until that occurs. So we will see $115 less than what it will be. But what it will be is frightening.” | Now they are not telling everyone that they are actually putting the RET on steroids before they give it the kiss of death. So we are going to have an increase in power prices even more dramatic than we were expecting and then they are going to kill it off. So the government tells us they are going to cut power prices by $115 a year. What they are not telling us is how much power prices will increase until that occurs. So we will see $115 less than what it will be. But what it will be is frightening.” |
| It must have looked good when he practised it in the mirror, so Roberts then presents a letter from Malcolm Turnbull, which was written after he sent him “a copy of the Moran report, which was a critique of the Finkel report”. You may have missed the Moran report, but don’t worry, it was published on this climate sceptics blog. | It must have looked good when he practised it in the mirror, so Roberts then presents a letter from Malcolm Turnbull, which was written after he sent him “a copy of the Moran report, which was a critique of the Finkel report”. You may have missed the Moran report, but don’t worry, it was published on this climate sceptics blog. |
| The Finkel report is a highly destructive blueprint for this country and the Moran report tears it to shreds, absolutely destroys it. The Finkel report is based on lies. And the Turnbull government is now continuing to tells lies about climate and it raises more questions, how the hell are they are going to comply with the Paris accord without renewables, so what are they going to do? They need to come clean, we have got three words into the vocabulary of this country. We have affordability into the energy debate, due to our work, reliability into the energy debate due to our work, we have security into the energy debate, due to our work and we’re going to introduce a fourth word – truth. Because I have been pursuing the CSIRO for the last 12 months and they have not got what they claim they had. And I’ll be talking more about that in the next few weeks.” | The Finkel report is a highly destructive blueprint for this country and the Moran report tears it to shreds, absolutely destroys it. The Finkel report is based on lies. And the Turnbull government is now continuing to tells lies about climate and it raises more questions, how the hell are they are going to comply with the Paris accord without renewables, so what are they going to do? They need to come clean, we have got three words into the vocabulary of this country. We have affordability into the energy debate, due to our work, reliability into the energy debate due to our work, we have security into the energy debate, due to our work and we’re going to introduce a fourth word – truth. Because I have been pursuing the CSIRO for the last 12 months and they have not got what they claim they had. And I’ll be talking more about that in the next few weeks.” |
| So there you have it. The master of empirical evidence, who apparently couldn’t work out an email address, or fully understand his citizenship history has the climate debate sorted. Obviously there is no need to continue with this today, we can all go home. | So there you have it. The master of empirical evidence, who apparently couldn’t work out an email address, or fully understand his citizenship history has the climate debate sorted. Obviously there is no need to continue with this today, we can all go home. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.02am BST | at 2.02am BST |
| 1.06am BST | 1.06am BST |
| 01:06 | 01:06 |
| The Greens have completed their party room meeting and it went as you would expect. | The Greens have completed their party room meeting and it went as you would expect. |
| The party room is not a fan of the energy policy, (shocking, I know), so it will be looking to Coag and the states to tell the government to go jump and go it alone when it comes to renewables. | The party room is not a fan of the energy policy, (shocking, I know), so it will be looking to Coag and the states to tell the government to go jump and go it alone when it comes to renewables. |
| They want to suspend standing orders in the Senate and call for a debate of the energy policy and hope Labor will join them. | They want to suspend standing orders in the Senate and call for a debate of the energy policy and hope Labor will join them. |
| As for other issues, the Greens are standing against the government’s housing affordability plan, which would allow homebuyers to dip into their super and reminded everyone the government has until close of business tomorrow to bring its citizenship changes – the ones which include the stricter English language test etc – up for debate. | As for other issues, the Greens are standing against the government’s housing affordability plan, which would allow homebuyers to dip into their super and reminded everyone the government has until close of business tomorrow to bring its citizenship changes – the ones which include the stricter English language test etc – up for debate. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 1.57am BST | at 1.57am BST |
| 12.56am BST | 12.56am BST |
| 00:56 | 00:56 |
| The Labor party is pleased the government went with James Shipton for the head of Asic and not John O’Sullivan. | The Labor party is pleased the government went with James Shipton for the head of Asic and not John O’Sullivan. |
| Chris Bowen said Shipton has their support as well. | Chris Bowen said Shipton has their support as well. |
| I want to congratulate and welcome the appointment of James Shipton as the new chair of Asic. This is an appropriate appointment. Mr Shipton has a good mix of corporate experience and regulatory experience. His experience as a regulator in Hong Kong will come in as an asset for him in his role in the new chair of Asic. As well, he’s been a thought leader when it comes to regulation in academia in the last few years, and of course, he’ll draw on his corporate experience. This is an appropriate and good appointment which Labor welcomes. The chair of Asic is an important position. It is appropriate that it receives bipartisan support. I give that bipartisan support to Mr Shipton and wish him well in his stewardship of Asic and look forward to working with him in the future.” | I want to congratulate and welcome the appointment of James Shipton as the new chair of Asic. This is an appropriate appointment. Mr Shipton has a good mix of corporate experience and regulatory experience. His experience as a regulator in Hong Kong will come in as an asset for him in his role in the new chair of Asic. As well, he’s been a thought leader when it comes to regulation in academia in the last few years, and of course, he’ll draw on his corporate experience. This is an appropriate and good appointment which Labor welcomes. The chair of Asic is an important position. It is appropriate that it receives bipartisan support. I give that bipartisan support to Mr Shipton and wish him well in his stewardship of Asic and look forward to working with him in the future.” |
| As for O’Sullivan, Bowen read from an email (from Godwin Grech to O’Sullivan) he once sent. | As for O’Sullivan, Bowen read from an email (from Godwin Grech to O’Sullivan) he once sent. |
| “RE fees – what I have in mind is that once Rudd and his hacks sign off on Ford Credit – you and I can change the contract to reflect your preferred fee arrangement and push that through quickly next week. I will not be running it past Henry – that is Ken Henry, secretary of Treasury – and co. Godwin.” | “RE fees – what I have in mind is that once Rudd and his hacks sign off on Ford Credit – you and I can change the contract to reflect your preferred fee arrangement and push that through quickly next week. I will not be running it past Henry – that is Ken Henry, secretary of Treasury – and co. Godwin.” |
| That was at 10.02am on the 19th of March 2009. At 10.24am on the same day Mr O’Sullivan replied “Thanks Godwin, sounds sensible.” | That was at 10.02am on the 19th of March 2009. At 10.24am on the same day Mr O’Sullivan replied “Thanks Godwin, sounds sensible.” |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 1.28am BST | at 1.28am BST |
| 12.40am BST | 12.40am BST |
| 00:40 | 00:40 |
| “Optimism” is one of the words a couple of Coalition sources have used in relation to the party room briefing. | “Optimism” is one of the words a couple of Coalition sources have used in relation to the party room briefing. |
| Then there is also this: | Then there is also this: |
| Abbott In Emissions Reduction Non-shock Shock #auspol https://t.co/HzhQvol85m | Abbott In Emissions Reduction Non-shock Shock #auspol https://t.co/HzhQvol85m |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 12.51am BST | at 12.51am BST |
| 12.21am BST | 12.21am BST |
| 00:21 | 00:21 |
| Things appear to be going well in the Coalition party room ... | Things appear to be going well in the Coalition party room ... |
| Energy Minister @JoshFrydenberg has been applauded by party room as he explained the Govt energy plan @SkyNewsAust | Energy Minister @JoshFrydenberg has been applauded by party room as he explained the Govt energy plan @SkyNewsAust |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 12.51am BST | at 12.51am BST |