Anthony Albanese hits out at Peter Dutton as energy stoush continues and climate debate heats up

Anthony Albanese has accused the Opposition of seeking to stifle investment in energy and industry as the Government reveals a months-long delay for its new emissions reduction target.

The Prime Minister said Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s policy to add nuclear power to Australia’s energy mix was flimsy, myopic and still lacked detail more than six months after first being announced.

“The only thing that we’re seeing here is Peter Dutton trying to hold his ramshackle show together by coming up with a policy that essentially stifles investment and says something will happen in the 2040s so we can have the argument down the track,” Mr Albanese said on Monday.

“Everything Peter Dutton does is just about making himself into a smaller and smaller ball while the world just moves past him.”

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen revealed the key body advising the Government on its emission reduction plans had asked for several months longer “ to work through the international permutations”.

He pointed out that of 197 countries that are part of the Paris Agreement, only five have so far announced their next targets.

The delay pushes the timing for the Government’s 2035 target beyond the federal election, although it already wasn’t keen to release the new figure in the heat of a campaign.

The Coalition has previously said it would not announce any targets under the Paris agreement.

Climate Change Authority chair Matt Kean told the Nine newspapers over the weekend that Donald Trump’s election as US President would have a global impact and the organisation needed to recalculate its assumptions in light of this before giving advice to the Government.

Mr Bowen said it was a legitimate concern.

He cited uncertainty around whether Mr Trump would abolish the Inflation Reduction Act, which channels money into renewable energy and related industries.

“The idea is that it reduces the cost of renewable energy for everyone, and that’s a negative if that goes,” he told Radio National.

“On the other hand, if the United States is less interested in renewable energy investment, that investment’s got to go somewhere, and Australia will be right on top of this looking for that investment and encouraging it to Australia.

“So there are swings and roundabouts about how it will apply to Australia, and I think it’s perfectly reasonable for the Climate Change Authority to tell the government we need a bit more time to work this through.”

Nationals Senate leader Bridget McKenzie said the Opposition had been upfront with Australians that it would not have a 2035 target.

She said Mr Bowen, as a cabinet minister, could make sure he had the evidence and modelling he needed to make a decision before the election.

“The bare facts are that he doesn’t want to have to make a decision, because he knows that it won’t be in the national interest, and the Australian public will be worse off because of what he’ll be having to put forward. So, he’s decided to put off the decision, like they’re doing with everything,” she said.

Mr Dutton used social media over the weekend to accuse Mr Albanese of shifting blame onto “everyone else” for rising power bills.

“And now, instead of owning up to the fact that he doesn’t want to release the rate of his 2035 target electricity tax before the election, he’s blaming – wait for it – Donald Trump,” he said.

“Australia can’t afford three more years of Anthony Albanese and Labor.”

The Coalition claims its policy to build seven nuclear power stations between 2035 and 2050 will reduce power bills by 44 per cent, however, the consultant that did its costings did not model the effect on household electricity bills.