Will PM Albo End The Climate Wars In Australia?

While the dust is still settling after the election, something that is already clear: Australians want real action on climate change and more support for renewable energy.

Labor Leader Anthony Albanese will be sworn in as Australia’s 31st Prime Minister this morning, and he’s promised to hit the ground running. In his victory speech on Saturday night, soon-to-be Prime Minister Albanese said:

Whoops, wrong video. Anyhow, he actually said:

“Together we can end the climate wars. Together we can take advantage of the opportunity for Australia to be a renewable energy superpower.”

Labor went into this election with a less-ambitious set of climate policies than the last. SQ’s Ronald recently quipped:

“They seem to have decided they lost the last one because they promised to make things better, so they’re doing their best to avoid that this time and are relying on winning by simply not being the Coalition.”

Based on what happened, maybe this time around Labor underestimated the appetite for change – but still, they are over the line. How much so is yet to be established.

Here are some of the commitments Albanese and Labor will now need to make good on.

• Labor promises zero net emissions by 2050 and a 43% cut in emissions by 2030, based on 2005 levels.
• Removal of the fringe benefits tax and import tariff on electric vehicles below the luxury car tax threshold for fuel efficient vehicles ($77,565).
• An EV charger rollout, with charging stations at an “average interval of 150km on major roads” across the country.
• $100 million direct investment to support around 25,000 households to own or lease part of a large solar power system installation.
• $200 million to be spent on 400 community batteries. Chris Bowen was busy pledging batteries in various communities in the lead-up to the election.
• Rewiring The Nation – an electricity grid infrastructure blitz to address transmission issues to support more renewables such as wind and solar energy, and drive down power prices.
• Reducing the Australian Public Service’s emissions to net zero by 2030

Greens And Teals To Pile On Climate Pressure

One of the things that will make Federal Election 2022 memorable is the rise of the “teals” – a group of independent candidates with common desires, including substantive action on climate change.

The Greens appear to have also fared well, with leader Adam Bandt declaring a “Greens-slide”.

“The Greens are on track for our best result ever,” Mr Bandt tweeted on Saturday night. “People have backed us in record numbers and delivered a massive mandate for action on climate & inequality.”

Between the Greens and the teals, pressure will be on the Albanese Government to not only live up to its climate and renewable energy commitments, but take them further. The Greens and teals are wanting Australia’s 2050 net-zero emissions target enshrined in law. As for 2030, the Greens are after a 75% reduction and the teals are also chasing much more ambitious targets.

The spirit in Labor may be willing to push the envelope, but the flesh may be a little weak initially until it finds its feet and polishes the message it will need to deliver to the Australian people. But no doubt the climate wars Anthony Albanese optimistically wants to see end will rage on, fossil-fuelled by disinformation and misinformation.

And as for some of the casualties of Australian Federal Election 2022 such as Scott Morrison, Angus Taylor, Craig Kelly and Keith Pitt (who is still blocking SolarQuotes from his Twitter feed), who will be losing plum positions in various forms; a brief and very repetitive parting message: