Guest essay by Eric Worrall
Early hopes that new Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government would revise Australia’s economically suicidal commitment to unaffordable green energy just took a substantial blow. Australian federal politician Keith Pitt has just resigned from new Prime Minister Scott Morrison‘s cabinet, citing his commitment to lower electricity prices.
MEDIA STATEMENT FROM KEITH PITT MP:
I have today advised the Deputy Prime Minister and Prime Minister of my decision to resign from the ministry. It has been a great privilege to serve the Australian people, particularly in a role which delivers much needed infrastructure to the regions.
However, I will always put the national interest and the interests of my constituents above my own. I will always put reducing power prices, before Paris.
I provide my genuine thanks to the leadership for the opportunities I have been provided. I look forward to contesting the next election and Scott Morrison and his new executive has my full support. A Bill Shorten Labor government will only result in higher taxes, higher power prices and less money in people’s pockets.
Source: https://keithpitt.com.au/news/media-statement
Keith Pitt’s statement is being reported in Australian media. In the absence of a more definitive official statement, Pitt’s intriguing reference to the Paris Agreement may be an early indication that Scott Morrison’s new government will attempt to continue the unpopular high cost climate policies of his green predecessor Malcolm Turnbull.
Update (EW): Keith Pitt confirmed in an interview with the Fraser Coast Chronicle that he left because of a disagreement over energy policy, though he directs most of the blame for local power prices towards Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk
…
“I handed in my resignation, I was offered the opportunity to continue, but it is more important that I am here on the ground representing the interests of the people in this electorate – that is what they elected me for and that is what I will continue to do.
“I can not in good faith tell people who are desperate for relief when it comes to power prices, that there will be a reduction due to actions which we have taken.”
…
“There is only one person who is responsible for the prices of power, and that is the Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk,” he said.
…
Read more (paywalled): https://www.frasercoastchronicle.com.au/news/pitt-why-i-turned-down-front-bench/3504427/
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Australia is 1/3rd of 1% of global population. Nothing they can do will move the climate.needle, or the CO2 needle, if that even matters.
Committing economic suicide can get Australia into the history books, but it’s a damn fool way to do it.
The old Labor Party used to claim they cared about the working people in Australia and elsewhere but that has all changed . They sold out to globalists and renewable bag men long ago . The middle class is well on its way to getting eliminated . Carbon taxes and grossly inflated energy costs are just guilt theft .
Well yeah, that’s what they claimed. But they took their lessons from Arthur Scargill. I was in a union and saw the process from the inside.
Not necessarily so. From this mornings “The Australian” newspaper.
“The free ride for renewable energy has ended with the appointment of Angus Taylor as energy minister.”
‘‘What we should be wanting is reliable, affordable power that brings down our emissions.”
“As a financial analyst, Mr Taylor wrote a report on reducing the cost of electricity that suggested the government immediately drop the RET (renewable energy target) and save up to $3.2 billion by 2020.”
This guy is smart, not ideological, he is conservative and realistic, so we live in hope.
Yes, but Frydenberg is deputy leader. That means more of the same, unfortunately.
Frydenberg is treasurer now and trying to balance the books. He will not be interested in anything that slows the economy like subsidiesed unreliable power etc. Whe energy minister he was beholden to Turnbull who was pushing for the Paris Target crap. He would have been dumped if he tolt MT to get nicked. He was probably privately talking to the plotters frankly as was ScoMo and a nmber of others trying to figure out how to get rid of MT with minimum damage. Not an easy trick to pull off. We shall see in a week if things settle down a bit.
Pitt jumped before he was pushed out in the reshuffle it seems to me and was just grandstanding. I had never heard of him and a couple of other grandstanders until they started threatening ‘crossing the floor’ or going to the cross benches. They are dogs imo and are in the dog house for good reason. The only result from their greasy grandstanding will be to help the Labor-Green gang get into power but hey, they will be able to both wash their hands of responsibility and bank their 30 pieces of silver. Like I aid, dogs.
As is now clear ScoMo has dumped the Paris Targets and the NEG will just be about affordable power. That is why Angus Taylor is the minister responsible. I note that Pitt has been replaced in his former role.
Eric,
The politics of having to balance Conservatives against Progressives in new appointments to the Ministries by Morrison PM is typical of many similar decisions worldwide.
Some good. Some bad.
One important bright spot is the splitting of the Energy and Environment Department into separate Departments.
Put simply,Environment is captured by bureaucrats who are green fanatics.
Early days yet.
Morrison is the man who walked into Parliament with a large hunk of black coal to taunt the Opposition with it.
Perhaps he believes like former PM Abbott-
“ Coal is good for humanity.”
How much CO2 does Australia add to the global total? I.e. just what is it they are trying to commit economic suicide to prevent?
We are told Australia is the second worst “carbon polluter” behind the US. Australia contributes about 3% of the total human contribution of CO2. So a VERY VERY VERY small contribution. We’re not trying to, Australia has committed economic suicide.
I heard Malcom Turnbull and Julia Gillard are having an affair. I read it in the National Enquirer, so it must be true.
That cannot be unread and the image it created cannot be uncreated!
Oh that is so beautiful…. they were made for each other…
ScoMo (that’s Scott Morrison, OZ’s new Prime Minister) has appointed Angus Taylor to be Minister for Energy. Angus is relatively new to parliament and is a (hopefully) rising star of the right-of-centre Liberal Party.
Before anyone writes off ScoMo’s energy policy, it might be a good idea to check out Angus Taylor. I have met him a few times, and he is an impressive person – clearly very thoughtful and capable. But more importantly, if you search the web for something like “Angus Taylor hates wind farms”, suddenly the future looks a little less grim. eg. https://reneweconomy.com.au/pollie-watch-angus-taylor-liberal-renewable-energy-59689/ from 2014.
I hope that ScoMo has understood the situation properly. Let’s face it, he would have to be thick as a brick not to understand what the dispute is about, and one thing that he absolutely is not is thick. Appointing Angus Taylor suggests strongly that ScoMo “gets” it. So give him and Angus a chance to show their colours, and with any luck you will be pleasantly surprised.
If he is the new boy on the block, he will be quickly “re-educated” on energy policy if he wants to secure his pension.
Forget about who is Green or whatever. Survival is the name of the Game, they will have to move on the cost of energy, and not at ex PM Turnbull was talking about some years down the track, but as of now.
The alternative is Bill Shorton with hi stated 50 % renewals, although I suspect for just the same reasons, that of survival, that the Labour Govt. will be a bit like Hawwke-Keating, in that traditional Labour values will be dropped.
MJE.
well if they keep it up- they will hand it to labor..
and if is bad now, it will only get worse then
poor fellow my country
Quantum physics and string theory are much easier to understand than Aussie politics.
Almost midday in Canberra – just watched New on ABC News24TV – Keith Pitt not mentioned that I heard. And I do not see him mentioned at ABC news online either http://www.abc.net.au/news/qld/
It’s cold in Aus…but that is just weather;
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/brace-for-the-coldest-morning-of-the-year-temperatures-to-plunge-even-lower-after-mercury-sunk-to-13c-overnight/ar-BBMxMds?li=AAgfYrC&ocid=mailsignout
I am originally from England and England get’s cold in winter. It’s been cold here in Aus. Maybe I am older now and feel the cold more, I dunno. It’s cold is all I know right now and I am sure no tax on energy will change that.