Labor’s contradiction on coal mine safeguards

Labor has let it slip coal mines would not be entirely exempt from provisions to help Australia reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

Labor has let it slip coal mines would not be carved out of provisions to help Australia reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

The party’s climate change policy involves forcing major industrial polluting facilities — such coal fired power stations and aluminium smelters — to reduce their carbon footprint.

It also involves imposing pollution limits on the 215 largest polluting facilities and tightening them over time to drive down the nation’s global warming contribution, to be achieved by tweaking a federal regulation known as the Safeguard Mechanism.

But despite repeated questioning and a heated exchange with a Sky News journalist, the deputy claimed the party had put forward the “most detailed modelling” around their proposals to meet net zero emissions by 2050.

But on Sunday, Opposition climate and energy spokesman Chris Bowen said coal mines would not be entirely exempt from a safeguards mechanism, which is set to be a key component of Labor’s plan to reduce emissions by 43 per cent by 2030.

“The Clean Energy Regulator will work with each facility, each of the 215 facilities and say, ‘all right, what’s the available technology that you can have to reduce emissions? And what are your competitors facing around the world? And what’s a sensible pathway for you to net zero?’”.

When asked if it included coalmines, Mr Bowen said: “yes” but said there could be other plans for trade exposed industries.

The Leader of the Australian Labor Party, Anthony Albanese and the Shadow Minister Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

This is despite his assistant spokesperson, Pat Conroy - who holds a seat in the NSW Hunter Valley, suggesting coal mines would be carved out, posing the question as to whether Labor was telling electors different things.

“Not a single Australian coal mine will be impacted by our safeguards mechanism because their international competitors don’t face the requirement to reduce emissions,” Mr Conroy told the Nine Newspapers.

Hours later, Senator Wong said Labor’s policy is based on the same mechanism originally implemented by former Liberal PM Tony Abbott.

“The approach that we are taking in utilising this mechanism is supported by the Business Council of Australia and the Australian Industry group,” she said.

“What will happen under Labor is the clean energy regulator will work with the facilities who are covered by Tony Abbott’s mechanism to ensure there are specific obligations under the safeguard mechanism.

“But what I want to make very clear is there will be no competitive disadvantage to any facility.”

The Maxwell Underground Mine Project in Jerrys Plains. Picture: Toby Zerna

It comes after a bumbling deputy leader, Richard Marles, on Saturday refused to say whether coal mines would be forced to buy carbon credits if they exceeded certain thresholds under an elected Labor government.

Nationals senator Matt Canavan also added “Labor’s new carbon tax risks 1000s of jobs in coal communities”.

The contradiction in policy comes as Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Labor MPs Penny Wong and Mark Butler went to Alice Springs in the marginal Northern Territory seat of Lingiari, which Labor holds by 5.5 per cent.

The prime minister was met by climate protesters demanding he “go home”, “raise the age” and “don’t frack the NT” when he arrived at the same place Labor’s contingent had been at an hour earlier.

The protesters were armed with a digitised sign counting up a “taxpayer dollars thrown at fossil fuel companies since 2019”, while demanding Mr Morrison come out to talk to them.

Originally published as Labor’s contradiction on coal mine safeguards