Five months in and reality is coming in hard for Australia’s new government.

Having rolled into office on a wave of misplaced hysteria about imminent world destruction, and ably assisted by state governments and woke corporate, the federal Labor government has been quick to set Australia on course for a European-style energy transition: accelerated shutdown of the coal-fired plants that produce most of Australia’s electricity; encouraging the shift to electric cars that will increase electricity demand; and pushing for the mass rollout of wind and solar.