Tony Abbott denies being a ‘sniper’ despite remarks about National Energy Guarantee
FORMER prime minister Tony Abbott says he is not aiming to be a “wrecker” despite his remarks about Malcolm Turnbull’s “dodgy” National Energy Guarantee.
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FORMER prime minister Tony Abbott has denied being a “sniper” or a “wrecker”.
His comments came after his earlier warning that Australia would be “surrendering its sovereignty” if his colleagues supported the “dodgy” National Energy Guarantee.
Mr Abbott told ABC’s 7.30 there had been “no leaking” or “briefing against the government”.
“There’s been none of that. Look, I have talked in this term of parliament, but not prior to the
2016 election, I have talked a lot about policy because I want this government to be the best it possibly can be but I have confined myself as I think is quite proper for a backbench member of Parliament to discuss policy,” he told host Leigh Sales.
“As I said, you know, Leigh, what I say to journalists off-the-record. You would also know what some of my former colleagues said to journalists off-the-record. And I’m prepared to back myself against my former colleagues when it comes to playing it straight and playing it fair.”
When asked if it was fair to say that the was the country’s “most effective Opposition Leader”, the former PM said he was only concerned about the nation’s best interests.
“Look, I think it is very important to tell the people of Australia what is in our long-term best interests and what we need is a power system which is run to give us affordable, reliable power, not run to reduce emissions.
“This is the flaw at the heart of the National Energy Guarantee.
Earlier, Malcolm Turnbull hit back at Mr Abbott’s warning over Australia’s energy policy, seemingly likening it to “idiocy”.
As the Coalition prepares for a high stakes party room meeting on energy policy tomorrow, the former Prime Minister warned today that Australia would be “surrendering its sovereignty” if his colleagues backed the NEG.
Mr Turnbull did not directly respond to the remarks.
But, when asked by Opposition leader Bill Shorten in Question Time today about Mr Abbott ridiculing his claims the NEG would reduce power prices, Mr Turnbull said: “The honourable member knows very well what happens when you allow ideology and idiocy to take charge of energy policy.”
He said it was the “almost unanimous” view of industry groups and business leaders that the NEG will deliver more affordable energy and that it should be backed by the opposition and all MPs.
Labor MPs shouted and pointed at Mr Abbott after the Prime Minister’s remarks, while Mr Abbott on the backbench smiled and threw up his hands in response.
It comes as Mr Turnbull suffered a blow in today’s Newspoll, published in The Australian, where his lead over Labor leader Bill Shorten as preferred prime minister plunged from 19 to 12 points.
In more bad news for Mr Turnbull, the Coalition’s primary vote was also down two points to 37 per cent.
Mr Turnbull will ask Coalition MPs to sign off on the government’s ‘NEG-plus’ plan tomorrow, so he can then win support for the policy from the states.
But Mr Abbott and a handful of other backbenchers, including Barnaby Joyce, remain unconvinced the policy will drive power prices down.
Speaking to 2GB radio this morning, Mr Abbott expressed concern the Turnbull government’s signature energy policy would lock in a binding carbon emission reduction target when he had only agreed to on a “non-binding, non-mandatory” basis through the Paris Agreement. “There’s a world of difference between a non-binding target and a mandatory legislative commitment. That’s why I think this is a very, very dangerous move which is being proposed,” Mr Abbott said.
“I have enormous concerns about anything that smacks of our country being dictated to, surrendering our sovereignty really, to the green bureaucrats of Paris.”
Mr Abbott is also demanding the government compulsorily acquire the Liddell Power Station in NSW to guarantee electricity supply beyond 2022.
Mr Joyce is reserving the right to cross the floor on the policy if the government cannot guarantee the policy will cut power prices.
Senior government minister Mathias Cormann downplayed the hit to Mr Turnbull’s popularity today, saying: “What the Newspoll shows is that again the Prime Minister is far more popular than the alternative, far more popular than Mr Shorten.”
Asked whether Mr Turnbull still had the support of the party-room, Senator Cormann said: “Of course he does”.
The two-party preferred result has not changed in the latest Newspoll — Labor still retains its narrow 51-49 per cent lead over the Coalition — but the ALP’s primary vote has fallen one point to 35 per cent.
One Nation’s primary vote also jumped two percentage points to nine per cent, which will worry the government after its crushing defeat in the Queensland by-election last month.
Outspoken Coalition backbencher Craig Kelly, who has publicly expressed concerns about the NEG, also dismissed the “preferred prime minister” result today, saying the primary vote and the two-party preferred vote was more important.
“The reality is the Newspoll today shows 51-49 — we are within striking distance,” he told ABC today.
“That is a close margin that can be turned around during an election period.”
And, in a sign Mr Turnbull may be able to win over some critics in the party room through a plan touted as ‘NEG-plus’, Mr Kelly also welcomed The Daily Telegraph ’s report that the federal government will underwrite new power generation.
Labor’s energy and climate change spokesman Mark Butler has accused the Prime Minister of pandering to the “hard right” of his party to lock in support for the NEG.
He said the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s recommendation for the government to underwrite new generation was not about building new coal-fired power stations.
“I think everyone needs to get real in the Coalition party room. New coal-fired power stations are simply not getting built in this country,” Mr Butler told reporters at Parliament today.
“I think we all understand what is happening here — Malcolm Turnbull is trying to tame the beast that is the hard-right of the Coalition party room led by Tony Abbott and Barnaby Joyce.
“It reminds us that the biggest barrier to lower power prices for Australian households is the chaos and division, for five years, in the Coalition party room on energy policy.
“But this beast will not be tamed, and Malcolm Turnbull has to realise, if he is to have any chance of landing an energy policy that has broad political and industry support, he simply has to stop taking dictation from Tony Abbott and Barnaby Joyce.”
ACCC chair Rod Sims addressed the Nationals party room today to explain the consumer watchdog’s proposal.
Amid the energy debate, five MPs were sworn back into Parliament today after claiming victory in the Super Saturday by-elections triggered by the citizenship saga.
Labor MPs gave a standing ovation as Susan Lamb, Justine Keay, Josh Wilson, Patrick Gorman and crossbench MP Rebekha Sharkie were sworn in just before question time.
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