Essay by Eric Worrall
A hilarious standoff has developed in Aussie politics, where greens are refusing to support a new carbon tax unless all the loopholes are closed.
Greens offer support for safeguard mechanism on condition it blocks new coal and gas
By political reporter Jake Evans
The Greens have offered the government their necessary support for its signature climate change legislation, with a single condition that new coal and gas projects are blocked from development.
Key points:
- The Greens have offered support for the safeguard mechanism on the condition new coal and gas projects are banned
- The party says it is prepared to forgo other changes, including to climate targets and carbon credit schemes
- The government has previously opposed a moratorium on new coal and gas
The government will introduce its “safeguard mechanism” bill to the parliament this week, which would require the nation’s top polluting facilities to reduce their emissions by 4.9 per cent each year to 2030, or face penalties.
The mechanism is the core of the government’s plan to reduce emissions by 43 per cent by the decade’s end.
The Greens say that is a weak target, and hold concerns that the safeguard mechanism would allow facilities to buy offsets to cover their obligations instead of cutting emissions.
But Greens leader Adam Bandt says the party is willing to put aside those concerns if the government will accept a single amendment to block new coal and gas projects.
“We’re prepared to live with those and give Labor’s scheme a go if Labor is prepared to stop opening coal and gas mines,” Mr Bandt said.
“The Coalition has said no, that they’re not interested, that means the government needs the Greens to get this through parliament.
…
Read more: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-15/greens-offer-support-for-safeguard-mechanism-coal-and-gas-bans/101971888
If you think we’ve suffered our share of disappointments, for the greens it has been absolute hell. No matter what coalitions they’ve entered, no matter what deals they thought they’ve won, they always get let down. New coal and gas mines are still opening after decades of effort, and people are still using fossil fuel.
In my opinion the new government carbon tax legislation is no different. Economically damaging for sure, but Labor has a significant mining union constituency, so they appear to have left big loopholes in their carbon tax for their comrades in the coal and gas mines to continue enjoying their well paid jobs.
The new carbon tax is supported by the major Aussie firms which dominate the Aussie Chamber of Commerce. If the carbon tax is passed, small players could be wiped out or forced to amalgamate at rock bottom prices with big players, because they can’t cope with the increased bureaucracy. But surely this isn’t the reason the Aussie Chamber of Commerce is cheering on the new tax?
The big question is, which way will greens jump? Will they let themselves be suckered, like all the previous times they compromised, only to watch their priorities ruthlessly discarded in bad faith when green votes were no longer useful? Or will they risk being blamed for the failure to pass a carbon tax, and stand by their inconvenient insistence that Aussie climate legislation lead to genuine CO2 emissions reductions, no matter what the consequences?
Popcorn all round.
This is a problem with a parliamentary system, in that there is no clear person to blame. And vote out of office.
You can always vote against the incumbent. More of a problem is that in many electorates there is such a margin that short of an unprecedented landslide voting against the incumbent is futile.
The parliamentary system is better, as the legislature and executive is combined.
Yes the senate isn’t a government majority but clearly they can blame the greens if they block their legislation.. sometimes it’s a negotiation tactic
The executive is a product of the legislature, and is chosen by a party caucus/internal election, not someone who has independent authority. People like Justin Trudeau would not do as well in a Presidential system.
People like Justin Trudeau would not do as well in a Presidential system.
Are you really sure about that?
Multiple pictures of Trudeau in blackface would have been rather difficult to survive politically in the US.
Trump survived being a draft dodger ( the vets loved him) and a serial philanderer ( religious right loved him). Plus he was a business flop in the areas he tried ( Trump University, Airline, casino) other than the real estate his father left him.
Worst of all he really was a NY liberal at heart , the conservative was just a con
So you are a Democrat who watches MSNBC? Good for you! Meds might help
Collectively the CAGW Loony Greenie crowd is not only stupid but very proud of it. I wonder if I should add in corrupt also?
Be reasonable–it was only to win elections.
Ah the Greens, once proud warriors setting forth in rubber boats to protect the whales. Now advocating for cluttering up the oceans with offshore turbines. Once campaigning against wind turbines to protect the Orange Bellied Parrot in Gippsland. Now supporting the endless push to install them all over the countryside. Little wonder few people actually trust them.
Backlash on the way will it force a election
No. The house of representatives has government majority. There is a special way to have a new election to force this through but highly unlikely as greens could win more senate seats
Every 6MW wind turbine uses a megaton of petroleum, natural gas and coal for materials, construction and maintenance. Glass, silicon, and other materials make the per watt nameplate rating expenditure for PV solar about the same. These figures don’t count the fuel or infrastructure expended by makeup “peaker” or for electricity generated for maintenance support.
Let’s close ALL the loopholes, shall we? It’s time that fake “renewables” dropped the BS and paid their fair share.
Let’s close ALL the loopholes.
+42
Maybe Midnight Oil could produce a song about wind & solar paying their fair share?
Wouldn’t that be the ultimate irony?
and don’t forget the cost to dismantle them and disposing of the waste
Woke prevails in the ACCI. The fact the the CEO was previously the CEO of the Automative Manufacturer’s Association provides insight (because that industry no longer exists in Australia). His background is in government not industry. A produce of big government and collaboration with big enterprise.
Australian miners are benefitting hugely from the NutZero enterprise. They can actually dig up iron ore, bauxite and coal to send to China using energy from the solar panels that China makes. Mining is not particularly energy intensive. It is the conversion that takes energy.
Heavy industry and woke are not good partners. China and India are now the cornerstones of heavy industry globally.
As long as China is prepared to subsidise global manufacturing using low cost internal coal resources, the developed world can present that “renewables” are sustainable.
Well it’s no use Labor appealing to The Greens using numbers to convince them.
The Greens just don’t do numbers.
Their share of votes at just about every election everywhere has hovered at around just 9 – 12%.
They haven’t worked out yet that they need MORE (additional) votes to occupy the government benches.
Aaaahhh, that means numbers, you see.
They’re doing a pretty good job of holding up the carbon tax.
My guess is they’ll cave. Adam Bandt is the strongest leader they’ve had in a long time, but at the end of the day he’s a green.
“at the end of the day he’s a green.”
A sort of oozing, festering, putrid green !
“Strong” for The Greens is measured on the same scale as “Stupid”.
And remember, you can’t fix
“Strong”Stupid.Ain’t they like little Duracell bunnies – all strutting around and self-important but otherwise completely aimless, clueless & pointless
Weather/climate is coming from beneath your feet, not from the phlogiston/dancing-angels up in the sky
There are people, and they’re on the premises so-to-speak, who actually do know how it works.
But (##) Modern Science doesn’t understand a word they say. Modern Science doesn’t want to understand, in fact, it can’t even be assed to make any effort to go find out.
They will talk of ‘gods’ and ‘spirits’ and other intangibles that don’t fit the modern way/narrative
Go on. I dare ya. Kick your shoes off and go dance with the Aborigine.
## Scary innit, at 04:45 GMT and listening to Leisan (mindless dance music, you’ll hate it) and I’ve just had one of my mind blowing realisations – concerning Modern Science.
And so far, (am gonna ‘think’ a bit more) It Is Perfect
It is the actual reason Science exists and why its gonna lead us into something truly and unspeakably horrible
As the Aborigine will say: There’s a Big God (spirit) under the water of the big ocean, and if you upset him (it’s a her actually) that god will rise up and completely sweep Australia clean of everything.
Unless you realise what’s going on and show some respect – something that Duracell Bunnies were never programmed for nor can they do, La Nina (the Spirit) will get ‘a bit cross’ and take the whole lot of you down.
As an American from Colorado, I can warn our great Australian Allies that you are impacted by the same thing that we’re dealing with: leftism.
With or without a carbon tax, renewable energy shall be the cheapest form of energy, the Greens say. This is true.
It shall also be the only source of energy, or non-energy as the case may be, which will make it the cheapest by default…
Gas is the battery of the nation you Green morons-
Gas prices go ‘through the roof’ as renewables went ‘effectively’ offline on east coast (msn.com)