It’s a laugh minute. Personal ambition and ideology crapping all over the national interest, Reneweconomy:
The Australian Coalition government has announced a new $4 million grant to pursue a new 1GW coal fired generator in north Queensland in one of the first acts of the new pro-coal resources minister Keith Pitt.
A joint announcement from Pitt, National leader Michael McCormack, energy minister Angus Taylor and Queensland MP and assistant minister for norther Australia Michelle Landry says the $4 million will be given to Shine Energy to conduct a feasibility study for a proposed 1GW HELE coal plant at Collinsville in Queensland.
A further $2 million will be allocated to a pre-feasibility study for a rival project, a 1.5GW pumped hydro-electric plant proposed by Renewable Energy Partners which is to be developed in conjunction with the proposed Urannah Water Scheme, and located between Collinsville, Proserpine and Mackay.
The funds are being allocated through the $10 million “Supporting Reliable Energy Infrastructure program.” It is not clear whether this is part of, or additional to, the $10 million announced to study different generation options, including coal fired generation, that was announced as part of the Underwriting New generation Investment program in the lead up to last year’s election.
But wait, there’s more from the backbench, via News:
Barnaby Joyce has clashed with a climate expert in a fiery debate about bushfires, coal and climate change.
And it comes as Australia considers adopting a net zero emissions target by 2050, similar to the United Kingdom and dozens of other nations, ahead of a UN climate summit in November.
The Nationals MP and US climatologist Professor Michael Mann went head to head during a 60 Minutes panel discussion which included former fire chiefs.
Prof Mann said Australia faced even more devastating bushfires in the future unless the government acted on climate change.
But Mr Joyce quickly rejected the argument: “We’re not going to (put out fires) by having this incredible debate in Canberra”.
Joyce supporters are all going to the backbench in a move to unseat McCormack, who is just not pro-coal enough. At The Australian:
Queensland MP Llew O’Brien has quit the Nationals in a new blow to Coalition unity in the wake of Barnaby Joyce’s failed bid to win over the party leadership last week.
The Wide Bay member advised Scott Morrison of his decision on Sunday night, The Courier-Mail reported.
The Prime Minister reportedly granted the right for Mr O’Brien to stay in the LNP, but he will not sit in the Nationals or Liberal partyrooms. He will still give the Morrison government supply.
Add Matt Canavan, coal’s greatest champion, already sitting on the backbench.
This is all about QLD votes where the Nats are endangered by pro-coal One Nation and Clive Plamer. It is no more complex than that. There is no bassi for new coal power output.
I would like to say that Labor has a better notion of the future of the species but it’s too busy chasing QLD votes as well, at the ABC:
Mr Marles said the feasibility study was the first step by the Coalition towards funding new coal projects, which was more about ideology than common sense.
“A Labor government is not going to put a cent into subsidising coal-fired power. And that is the practical question as to whether or not it happens,” Mr Marles said.
The Victorian MP had previously said the collapse of the global coal market was a “good thing”, before backtracking ahead of the last election.
“I absolutely support coal mining jobs and coal miners, and the role that that plays within our economy, and it will continue to play a role for a long time to come,” Mr Marles added.
“The reason I said that my comments last year were ‘tone-deaf’ is because I think they didn’t acknowledge the significant role that coal miners play and the communities play within our economy, and it’s a very significant one.”
Burn, baby, burn. It’s an Auatralian inferno…
