Abbott-friendly NEG is a dog: Greens

Greens energy and climate change spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today said that as Tony Abbott starts tweeting in support of the NEG, Labor should toughen up and demand better of the Federal government than this dog of a policy.

“The NEG is a dog,” said Mr Bandt. 

“The NEG was designed to appease the coal-huggers on the backbench and Tony Abbott’s latest endorsement suggests that plan is working.”

Greens ready to block NEG.

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today said that the more detail that emerges about the NEG, the worse the framework becomes. With each new revelation, it becomes increasingly difficult to see how the NEG is anything but a policy designed to placate Tony Abbott and the fossils on the backbench, meaning the Greens may have no choice but to block legislation when it comes to Federal Parliament.

Stopping network rorting requires rule change to reduce rate of return: Bandt

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today backed The Grattan Institute’s call to reduce the ‘regulated asset base’ of our electricity networks, which echoes The Greens’ call to reduce the guaranteed rate of return offered to networks to a figure that is, or is close to, the government bond level.

“There’s no justification for making consumers subsidise investment that is essentially risk-free,” said Mr Bandt.

The Senate has backed an Australian Greens motion rejecting any moves by the Federal or SA Liberal Government to weaken South Australia’s position as a leader in renewable energy. The Senate also rejected dismantling SA’s strong renewable energy target.

“If Malcolm Turnbull and Steven Marshall think they can start tearing down South Australia’s strong renewable energy industry, they can think again,” Greens Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young said.

Is our new Deputy Prime Minister a climate change denier?

Greens spokesperson for climate change and energy Adam Bandt MP today questioned the new Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack, about his position on climate change.

“It appears that the second most powerful man in the country doesn’t believe in climate change,” said Mr Bandt.

Direct Action is a sham, safeguard mechanism not safe: Bandt

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP said reports today that nearly 60 industrial sites have been jacking up their pollution, sanctioned under the so called ‘safeguard mechanism’ shows that Tony Abbott’s Direct Action plan is a sham that lets Josh Frydenberg lift pollution at taxpayers’ expense.

“Emissions are rising because our climate legislation is a figleaf designed by Tony Abbott to let polluters keep on polluting,” said Mr Bandt.

Carbon Capture and Storage won’t save coal & is a waste of money and a waste of time: Bandt

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today slammed suggestions that taxpayer funds from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation should be used to fund Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). Since 2003, according to The Australia Institute , over $1.3 billion has been wasted on this unicorn technology – money that should have been spent on clean, green, proven renewable energy technology.

Power to the people: towards a publicly owned electricity grid

The Greens will seek to return the national electricity grid into public hands, starting with the vital interconnectors between regions.

The policy will help bring down electricity prices and help cut pollution by ensuring better planning and investment to underpin a clean energy future.               

Greens Senator for Queensland Andrew Bartlett says Malcolm Turnbull’s pledge of millions of dollars to protect the Great Barrier Reef is a wasteful publicity stunt aimed at distracting attention away from those who continue to put the Reef at risk.

“The real beneficiaries of this blatant publicity stunt are the fossil fuel giants and their Liberal Party mates who will continue to go about their business as usual - certainly not the Reef or the public, who are footing million dollar bills for wasteful projects that are doomed to fail.