Apparently, billions of dollars in incentives were not enough to appease the Nationals. The party has been in government for the last 8 years but Barnaby Joyce talks like a complete outsider. He had no idea what was in the plan and then wasn’t going to agree to whatever it is with only 4 hours to review it, just 13 days before COP26.
What sort of coalition is this that doesn’t work together on a plan for the biggest emergency facing the world – one that most affects those in the regions?
What of all the farmers and communities who lost everything in climate fuelled bushfires? What about the science?
The Farmers Federation, the Business Council of Australia, the Australian Industry Group accept the need for net zero by 2050 but not Barnaby Joyce whose ‘honest appraisal’ tells him to say no. He and Matt Canavan, Bridget McKenzie, George Christensen, Keith Pitt et al are holding the nation to ransom. It’s dishonest and dangerous.
According to the Nats, the offer would need to build rail to new coal mines, have no impact on jobs, no adding to living costs, no carbon tax, no tax on emitters, no emissions trading plus $250 billion to support resource sector jobs. The Coalition want growth in exports of coal and gas, ignoring the immense economic opportunities in renewables, and the fact that the rest of the world eventually won’t want our coal.
It is an outrage that the citizens of Australia are being kept in the dark and held hostage not just by the National Party but the Coalition Government which won’t tell us what the plan is. It seems there will be no change to the inadequate 2030 target which makes getting to net zero almost impossible.
The Morrison Government will again embarrass us on the world stage – a pariah state incapable of seeing the big picture and the real and present threat of global warming.