When you believe the science around Climate Change is 'absolute crap' and when all your mates in business are also ill-informed, old, white, male denialists.. then the Abbott government policy of dismantling Labor's great work in this area actually makes sense.
The RET is working as we are currently projected to overshoot the 20% target that was set. Cue a biased 'review' by climate change sceptic Dick Warburton. And to back him up, Tony Dumb Dumb's business adviser Maurice Newman who actually believes the Earth is Cooling! To no ones surprise, Warburton has recommended winding back the 20% target. Better to lock in profits for the coal industry, who are big donors to the Liberal party, then to be a responsible international citizen, to protect our natural assets like the reef, to ensure farming remains sustainable, to drive down power prices (as renewables are doing).
The other trick being used to promote the interests of coal fired power over renewables is to use out of date data. Data that was four or five years old was being used by Deloitte Access Economics' work undertaken for the Business Council of Australia and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the Renewable Energy Target. In a new technology industry where improvements and efficiencies are being implemented rapidly, this seemingly intentional error greatly distorts the findings.
While Team Warburton's report seems to give the green light to more stupid short sighted policy, the predicted consequences of Team Dumb Dumb pressing ahead with its preferred policy position is, according to Tristan Edis... a complete mess, with the likely beneficiaries dirty power providers, and the big losers... consumers and future generations.
Team Abbott - vested interests first, the rest of us a distant second.
Warburton's panel that was reviewing the RET included economist Brian Fisher (who did a significant amount of work for the oil and gas industry), Asciano director Shirley In’t Veld (a significant part of Asciano's business is coal haulage) and Australian Energy Market Operator chief executive Matt Zema (AEMO represents energy generators, dominated by greenhouse gas intensive providers).
Now there's a balanced and independent panel! No one is surprised their findings support winding back the RET. Another dodgy report to support breaking another promise.. but then everyone has lost count how many promises have been broken. For another take on the situation... First Dog on the Moon!
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Tony Dumb Dumb and the rest of his rabble are clearly blinded by ideology, as since the budget at least, they have demonstrated no political intelligence. The big hope is, as Michelle Grattan suggests, they won't want to open up another attack on a publicly popular scheme (renewables).. after all they don't have the political capital to spare.. it was used up some time ago.
This is clearly the dumbest government we have ever had to suffer. But it is also the most extreme right wing. Case in point.. Kevin Andrews' support for the 'World Congress of Families' conference, where dodgy science is welcomed if it supports your narrow view of the world. While Eric Abetz knows 'Good Dodgy Science' when he sees it, and Kevin Andrews thinks the organisation is such an important one he is willing to open and close their conference... I have no idea who they are, other than far right fruit-loops. But thanks to First Dog on the Moon, I now have a better understanding of why they have gained the support of Kevin Andrews.