Labor’s energy policy is in tatters with frontbenchers now contradicting each other on whether they would put a price on carbon.
First Labor’s climate change and energy spokesman Mark Butler said there would be no price on carbon:
NEIL MITCHELL: I understand that. I still haven’t heard an unequivocal guarantee from you that there’ll be no price rises.
MARK BUTLER: I have said that, I’ve said that the emissions trading scheme operates without a carbon price…That’s about as definitive as anyone could be… I’ve described very clearly what our policy is, an ETS without a carbon price. - Mark Butler, Interview, 3AW with Neil Mitchell, 28 April 2016
But despite being Labor’s policy for at least 10 months the memo clearly didn’t reach Deputy Leader Tanya Plibersek:
TONY JONES: … your 50% renewable target, is that a guaranteed target or has it now turned into an aspiration based on wishful thinking?
TANYA PLIBERSEK: No, no, it’s not about wishful thinking. This is about putting a price on carbon… - Tanya Plibersek, ABC Q&A, 20 February 2017
Confusion surrounding Labor’s energy policy is just plain farcical.
First Labor was unable to explain whether it’s 50 per cent Renewable Energy Target (RET) was an aspiration, a goal, an ambition, an objective, a framework or a hard target.
Then Labor wouldn’t explain whether its RET would be legislated or not.
And now we find out that Labor doesn’t know whether its policy includes a price on carbon or not.
Australians can ill afford another Labor experiment like the one in South Australia that sacrifices energy security, energy affordability, jobs and investment.