Laugh is on Labor and its festival of weakness

Energy and Climate Minister Chris Bowen says Labor is providing cheaper power thanks to renewable energy. The numbers say otherwise, writes Tim Blair.

I was enjoying the action at our local dirt speedway on Saturday night, as one does, when power to the venue was suddenly cut.

We were in darkness, likely because of recent nearby bushfires and related infrastructure damage.

Racing was immediately halted as officials scrambled to fix their electrical problem.

Two of them were talking about generators when a sardonic spectator offered his own advice.

“There’s a big old wind farm just up the road!” the fellow said, pointing north.

Everybody within earshot fell about laughing, of course, because wind farms and associated unicorn-derived energy sources are now a punchline in normal Australia.

Also true: in normal Australia, people cope easily with occasional power outages and other electrical issues brought about by extraordinary circumstances.

Wind turbines, such as these at a wind farm at Crookwell in NSW, are increasingly the punch lines to a joke.

We know about the difficulties and challenges of bringing constant power to all corners of our country, and are psychologically equipped to absorb the odd setback.

That’s why there was no widespread spectator distress at the Blue Ribbon Raceway on Saturday.

You’d find a greater level of annoyance among Teal voters at Sydney Airport who’d just been told their flight to Rome was delayed.

Racing under the lights wasn't possible on a recent evening at the Blue Ribbon Raceway

Wealthy environmentalists are such fantastic hypocrites. They’re all for ending dependence on fossil fuels unless they want to use fossil fuels right now, at this very minute.

But back to the normals and their capacity for dealing with rare energy outages. They’ll maintain that capacity just so long as our energy supply is mostly reliable and cheap.

But patience is lost when the energy system is deliberately structured to be weak, expensive and unreliable.

In other words, when our energy system is based on air flow and sunbeams. Fine if you’re a dandelion, not so great if you’re running an energy-intensive business.

Or if you’re employed by an energy-intensive business. Or buying anything prepared, delivered or sold by energy-intensive businesses.

And patience is further lost when this entire ridiculous enterprise is overseen by climate clown Chris Bowen, who as Energy Minister is – as has been observed of similar ministers internationally – more interested in reducing energy availability than increasing it.

The man’s title is a perfect example of misinformation. He should be prosecuted for it by his Labor pals, but they might not get the chance.

Australian Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen. Picture: NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

That’s because sections of the Australian business community – which overall has been leftish and lame on climate issues - are now realising it might make sense to drive Bowen and Labor from office at the next election.

It took them long enough, but they’ve finally joined normal Australia. Net zero with all of its assorted nation-crushing costs is sliding out. Reality is moving in.

“Based on the impact of the level of increase in energy pricing for food businesses, and the downstream impact for consumers … there should be a very serious look at the approach towards net zero at present because of the damage that is being done,” Independent Food Distributors Australia CEO Richard Forbes told Monday’s The Australian.

“It’s very clear … that the damage is affecting the viability of businesses and is affecting the ability of consumers to purchase the food that they would like.”

By the reckoning of the IFDA, its business owners have suffered energy price increases of more than 50 per cent since Labor was elected.

Bowen says Labor is providing cheaper power thanks to renewable energy. The numbers say otherwise.

MOCO Food Services managing director Mike Peberdy, in their huge facility in Wacol, Brisbane. Peberdy is unhappy with the federal government's energy policy after his bills have increased by 50 per cent. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/The Australian

“Food businesses are sick and tired of hearing the government saying they are doing something about the cost of living, when their costs, particularly energy costs, are soaring,” Forbes continued.

“The government must take responsibility for a portion of the cost-of-living crisis, which is the cost of doing business, which is energy.”

Yep. Moco Food Services CEO Mike Peberdy, whose Queensland company supplies thousands of restaurants, cafes, pubs and clubs, estimates that his electricity bill has blown out by 50 per cent to $45,000 per month.

“There needs to be a focus on shoring up our short-term power requirements using coal and gas in order to reduce the cost to consumers and business,” Peberdy said.

Unlike many in Australian business, Peberby is not prepared to indulge Labor’s net zero fantasies by smashing the broader economy.

“We used to be a low-cost power country, and now we’re high,” he said, perceptively. “It seems like a crazy destruction of wealth across the Australian population.”

The Libs’ slogan for the 1975 election, contrasting with Labor’s gloom, was “turn on the lights”. That slogan might work again in 2025.

For that matter, it also applies to local speedways.