Coalition denies backbench revolt over coal-fired power as PM approaches 30th Newspoll defeat
A LETTER from a pro-coal group of Coalition backbenchers has emerged, as they deny Malcolm Turnbull is facing a leadership challenge from their ranks.
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A LETTER from a pro-coal group of Coalition backbenchers has emerged, as they deny Malcolm Turnbull is facing a leadership challenge from their ranks as the Prime Minister stares down his 30th Newspoll defeat.
The group of about 20 backbenchers, which includes Tony Abbott, Barnaby Joyce, Kevin Andrews and Eric Abetz, has revealed they will openly lobby for the government to build a new coal-fired power station while the Prime Minister tries to win support for his action plan to prevent blackouts and put downward pressure on prices, the national energy guarantee (NEG).
The letter, obtained by Sky News, contains the energy policy demands of the ‘Monash Forum’. The group of coalition backbenchers is pushing for a new $4 billion coal-fired power plant on the site of Victoria’s Hazelwood Plant.
The Monash Forum Letter poses the question: “If the government can intervene to build Snowy 2.0, then why not intervene to construct Hazelwood 2.0?”
Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg has told Sky News that he has not seen the letter.
Liberal backbencher Craig Kelly laughed off suggestions today the group had timed its announcement ahead of the next Newspoll, due to be released on Monday.
It’s expected to be Mr Turnbull’s 30th Newspoll defeat to Labor in a row, the same number he used to justify his move to challenge Mr Abbott for the Liberal leadership in September 2015.
Mr Kelly told ABC radio this morning Mr Turnbull had his full support.
“I was never an advocate of counting the 30 Newspolls or the number of Newspolls,” he said.
“The reality is that in today’s economy, when you’re trying to wind back a budget that is in deficit and you’re trying to get it back to a balance and surplus, during the term of government you are not going to be popular and you’re going to be down in the polls.
“That is the reality of life no matter who is Prime Minister.
“Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has my full support.
“He is doing a very good job under very difficult circumstances and we will see those polls tighten right up as we get closer and closer to the election.”
Mr Kelly said Mr Turnbull would have his full support regardless the Energy Security Board’s recommendations on coal.
He said the group, which is calling themselves The Monash Group after a key figure in opening Victoria’s Latrobe Valley to coal production, John Monash, simply wanted to ensure Australia was getting low cost energy.
“With so-much anti-coal rhetoric around in the community, we want to ensure that people understand and that we’re a voice about how important coal is to our economy,” he said.
Mr Kelly said the Coalition would fall in behind Mr Turnbull as a team at the next election because Liberal and National MPs understood “the potential damage” a Shorten Labor government would do to the nation.
“That will unite us above anything else,” he said.
He also said the group supported the NEG, which he described as “a very good backbone of a policy”.
But he said the NEG’s parameters needed to be technology-neutral.
Mr Turnbull appeared unfazed by the group agitating for more coal-fired power today.
“I can only say to you that our national energy guarantee has been endorsed by the whole coalition party room,” he told reporters in Brisbane.
“It’s got strong support from industry and state jurisdictions ... it’s vitally important that it be adopted because what we need is a technology-agnostic energy policy that encourages investment.”
Mr Turnbull said the bottom line was to have a policy which delivered affordable and reliable power and met Australia’s emissions targets.
Labor has seized on the division.
Energy spokesman Mark Butler said the “fossils” in the hard-right of the Coalition were seeking to test Mr Turnbull’s leadership.
“Given his track record of failing to stand up to the hard-right of his party room and caving in on two energy policies, no one should be surprised if he caved into the hard right fossils again,” Mr Butler said.
Mr Frydenberg told reporters today he had spoken to Mr Kelly this morning and valued his colleagues’ opinions.
“What they want to see and what we want to see are exactly the same thing, which is lower power prices and a more reliable system,” he said.
Mr Frydenberg downplayed reports of a backbench revolt, saying the group had spoken publicly about its concerns for some time already.
He said under the NEG, there would be opportunities for coal “upgrades” and for coal to be part of the energy mix.
State and federal energy ministers will meet in Melbourne on April 20 to discuss the NEG.
— with AAP
Originally published as Coalition denies backbench revolt over coal-fired power as PM approaches 30th Newspoll defeat