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Flat White

Albo learns nothing from European crisis – doubles down on renewables

16 July 2022

4:11 PM

16 July 2022

4:11 PM

Europe (and parts of Asia) are in the middle of an energy, food, social, and economic crisis exacerbated by ‘green’ initiatives that have seen governments toppled and the near-total collapse of society.

These countries have gone from wealthy, stable, and democratic to hotbeds of civil unrest, poverty, and supply chaos in a matter of months. The myth of permanent stability embraced by political leaders and the majority of citizens has been well and truly debunked.

Our economies are fragile, and green policy is breaking them.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has either spent too much time ‘offline’ 45,000 feet in the air, or he’s fallen into a bit of political S&M – stumbling about in a blindfold while renewables barons, clickbait press, and activists whack him in the direction of UN climate goals.

Labor’s Climate Change Bill and supporting policy is the formalisation of energy recklessness and the victory of radical ideology over reality.

It lays out a regime of emissions reductions and system of punishment for those who refuse – including politicians. Said Albanese of those who intended to oppose him, ‘[Those who do not support climate targets will] be held accountable for it’.

The implementation of this Bill is set to financially benefit a range of large ‘green’ corporations and destroy industries primarily comprised of family businesses and ordinary individuals. Normally we would call this type of behaviour ‘interfering in the market’. Given the obvious consequences, it brushes awfully close to a thinly-veiled class war implemented under the excuse of ‘saving the planet’ despite experts admitting that Australia’s complete shutdown would make ‘almost no difference’ to the climate.

The Greens and some independents aren’t happy. They are pushing to make Labor’s plan more extreme.

The Liberals must share blame for lending credibility to the ‘Climate Change’ rhetoric. It is unlikley the Teal movement would exist if the previously blue-ribbon voters in rich, waterfront seats, had not been assured by Liberal MPs that the world was ending. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has a narrow window to side-step this toxic ideology and stand with Menzies’ ‘forgotten people’. He can use the rising tide of anti-globalism to float him into power – or sit and tarnish himself in the swamp.

Chris Bowen, Minister for Climate Change and Energy (two portfolios that should never be mixed), called the Bill, ‘simple yet powerful’ in its promise to cement Labor’s Net Zero target of a 43 per cent reduction by 2030.

‘This is extremely important. It is what every sensible government is now saying around the world. Yes, we have some short-term challenges – but renewable energy is more secure, there is no geostrategic crisis that can impact the supply of sun to our land and wind to our shores.’


Bowen might want to look again, on two counts.

First, ‘sensible’ governments are being swarmed by furious citizens as their food production and energy costs reach unlivable levels.

Second, Bowen has forgotten that Australia requires solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries to capture that ‘free’ energy. Where are those made? Let us think. It wouldn’t be a communist aggressor famous for human rights abuses and violations of international trade conditions that has spent the last few years punishing Australia for questioning Covid…? Does Bowen think a (likely) Pacific conflict over Taiwan might interrupt the supply of these renewables products and expose Australia’s renewable energy grid to severe failure?

No one asked him.

To this damaging nonsense, Australia has had to sit and listen to Labor further claim that their climate pledge affords them the leg-up in natural security and foreign policy. As Foreign Minister Penny Wong says, it will make Australia the ‘partner of choice’.

What about a little experiment? Australia pledges to be a climate warrior and re-direct all of its Pacific aid back into the transformation of the domestic energy grid. Unquestionable climate virtue – no money for island regimes. Would Australia be rewarded with eternal friendship? If not, why not? Is this about money or the climate…?

Someone should remind Ms Wong that America is the world’s preferred security partner because it is in possession of the world’s largest military. Similarly, the Solomon Islands did not choose China as its ‘partner’ because of its action on Climate Change – as implied by their Prime Minister – but for China’s money and military prowess. How else can the immediate negotiations regarding Chinese mining of coal, oil, and gas in the region or the presence of Chinese troops quashing domestic rebellions be explained?

A ‘green Australia’ is hardly likely to prove a genuine competitor to China’s wallet and militarised regime. An Australia crippled by expensive, unreliable energy and a dismantled agriculture sector won’t have much spare change for ‘Climate Change’.

We can only hope that Labor are demonstrating nativity rather than stupidity.

There are questions that Albanese, Wong, and Bowen refuse to answer.

Why should China be allowed to enjoy cheap, reliable energy off the back of Australian coal?

Are their emissions to be incorporated into Australia’s Net Zero target?

What about the carbon emissions that go into the mining and production of solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries created in China before being shipped here as ‘clean’?

If, as AMEO insists, coal is no longer needed for the future of energy, why is China desperate to drain our resources when they are being praised as the renewable giant of the world?

There appear to be plenty of neat loopholes.

Locking into law what is failing catastrophically around the world reveals a Labor government that has no interest in exercising caution and care with the Australian economy. The subsequent creation of the Climate Change Authority is sure to police those businesses and individuals attempting to survive under what is widely coming to be known as ‘climate fascism’.

Through this legislation, Labor is openly picking winners and losers in Australia – forcing the closure of businesses in a communist-style control of the economy. It is Big State governance, excessive market interference, and like all other meddling policies – it will end in a nightmare with the taxpayer picking up the bill.

 

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