Greens slam Turnbull’s moves to give public money to coal, welcome state moves to reject NEG

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today slammed reports that Malcolm Turnbull has capitulated to the hard-right coal-huggers on his backbench by committing to the ACCC recommendation that could see public money spent on coal-fired power stations. Mr Bandt also cautiously welcomed moves by Daniel Andrews to reject the current design of the NEG, but warned that if he flip-flops on the NEG, he will feel the heat from a Greens army in the inner-city.

Cut the coal-huggers loose, state Premiers must reject NEG: Bandt

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today said that the coal-huggers in the Coalition are running the country’s climate change and energy policy, further evidenced by Minister David Littleproud’s comments on climate change and the latest analysis of NEG modelling. He called on Premiers Daniel Andrews and Annastacia Palaszczuk to stop treading water and join the ACT in rejecting the current design of the NEG.

Australian Greens nuclear spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has slammed the Liberal Government’s bribe to the Hawker and Kimba communities as they tries to find a home for their nuclear waste dump. Polling commissioned by the Greens shows that the majority of South Australians want to stop the nuclear waste dump from being built in their state.

Australian Greens climate and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP has welcomed reports Federal Labor intends to reject the National Energy Guarantee and has called on Labor premiers to join them.

Australian Greens Deputy Leader and spokesperson on climate and energy, Adam Bandt MP, has welcomed the ACTU’s adoption at its National Congress of a strong platform for action on climate change.

Mr Bandt said the support for an Energy Transition Authority to oversee the shift away from coal to renewable energy, including supporting the transition for workers and communities, was particularly welcome and mirrored the Greens’ policy for a ‘Renew Australia’ authority.

Despite government spin, the electricity market operator’s plan released today shows a future with almost no coal-fired power is coming, Greens climate and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP said today.

The supporting data behind the Integrated System Plan, released by the Australian Energy Market Operator today, shows that the National Energy Market could be almost 85% renewable by 2040, with only 7.25 GW of coal power – the equivalent of about 6 large-scale plants – left in Australia by 2040.

If you’re ‘technology agnostic’ you’re committing a climate crime: Bandt

Greens Acting Leader and climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today said that the myth peddled by Malcolm Turnbull and the ACCC that energy policy should be "technology agnostic" is committing a climate crime.

“When it comes to electricity, if you’re “technology agnostic” you’re committing a climate crime. Coal kills. Renewables don’t,” said Mr Bandt.

“To prevent dangerous global warming, we need to get out of coal and into renewables.

ACCC diagnoses energy ‘market’ broken, but prescription will make problems worse: Bandt

Greens Acting Leader and climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today said that the ACCC report shows that treating electricity like a stockmarket has failed, but that it calls for more of the same in the vain hope of a different outcome. Mr Bandt also said the government must rule out the ACCC’s proposals to axe support for rooftop solar and to provide new public funds to gas- and coal-fired power stations

Greens launch push for parliamentary commission of inquiry into the failures of deregulation and privatisation of electricity retailers.

Greens Acting Leader and energy spokesperson, Adam Bandt MP, today announced that the Greens will introduce a bill into both the Senate and the House of Representatives to establish a parliamentary commission of inquiry into the excessive profiteering and the failure of deregulation and privatisation of the retail electricity sector. 

Abbott channelling Trump to sabotage NEG: Bandt

Greens Acting Leader and climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today slammed Tony Abbott for calling on the government to abandon the Paris Agreement. Bandt said that Abbott’s comments coincide with a push from the coal-hugging National party to establish a $5 billion coal fund, both of which are designed to sabotage the NEG. Bandt is demanding that Josh Frydenberg provide all details of the government’s energy package before the upcoming COAG meeting in August.