George Christensen slams net zero as putting coal jobs at risk
The renegade Dawson MP will fight against his own party’s net zero target that he says will kill the coal industry and destroy more than 653,000 jobs.
Mackay
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George Christensen says he will fight hard against his party’s net-zero emissions target to save what he claims is more than 653,000 jobs at risk.
The Dawson MP’s renegade stance comes despite Prime Minister Scott Morrison stating members would “come together” to reach the ambitious goal by 2050 while keeping coal mines in operation.
Mr Christensen, who will not contest the next federal election for the LNP in Dawson, said the Institute of Public Affairs report showed net zero would destroy livelihoods, particularly in the heavily coal-reliant Mackay.
“Overall, 653,000-plus jobs would be put at risk for the Dawson electorate and Capricornia electorates, which both encompass the Mackay region,” he said, adding a forced transition to renewables would drive up energy prices for consumers.
Mr Christensen said with renewable energy technologies currently intermittent and unreliable, he would prefer a government strategy that funded research and development into all alternative energies, particularly fusion and thorium power.
“Why does it take the government to get involved to do these (net zero) measures if technology is increasing all the time?” he said.
“If you could crack that (fusion) nut, not only could you reduce emissions but you could make power cheaper.”
He said Andrew Forrest’s decision to build a $1bn hydrogen electrolyser plant in Gladstone proved businesses did not need an “artificial net zero emissions police” to invest in alternative energy.
Mr Christensen also slammed the rhetoric on climate change saying Australia was “hamstringing” itself while China built more coal-fired power plants.
“I don’t believe in 50 years time that the planet is going to be on fire or the reef is going to be destroyed or that it’s going to be too hot to live,” he said.
“I think too much of that doomsday material has been pumped into people.
“There’s claims out there all the time that there’s going to be some disastrous impact from climate change but we’re yet to see it.”
Mr Christensen said he also disapproved of the “scuttlebutt” between the National Party and the Liberals in trying to reach a net zero deal.
He said Resource Minister Keith Pitt’s suggestion of a $250bn loan package for the thermal coal sector should be considered in par with the sell-out and “disastrous” Telstra sale.
“I just think there’s a lesson to be learnt with that,” Mr Christensen said.
“You don’t give in on something you know is going to be disastrous to regional economies on a wish and a prayer that there may be some package that’s going to last the length of time or fix things.
“Political deals come and political deals go very, very quickly.
“What remains is whatever major thing you’ve done that’s changed the landscape and net zero will change the landscape in a very, very bad particularly for this region.
“Nobody can think for one second that a net zero target is not going to have as part of it a complete and utter shutdown of the coal mining industry.
“It has to.”
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