Via Domainfax:
Alex Turnbull blamed “rent-seekers” backing the coal industry for felling his father Malcolm Turnbull as prime minister, saying it’s “impossible” to vote for the Liberal-National coalition “in good conscience” because of its climate stance.
“He was snookered,” Mr Turnbull said of his father’s fate. “You don’t know how hard he worked on this issue.”
“It’s impossible to vote for the LNP in good conscience,” Mr Turnbull said, adding he had no intention of entering politics himself. “My father fought the stupid and the stupid won.”
I’ve no doubt that rent-seekers were all over the NEG. But the policy was equally stupid in its own way. It was way too complex to pass muster in the community. By legislating climate targets it clearly ran the risk of stalling any raised mitigation targets which was all that mattered given we’ve already virtually met the NEG target. It raised prices. It reduced competition. It was bloody awful from beginning to end.
But it did help Malcolm Turnbull deliver one thing much better for climate change action.
The end of his own government.
