Barnaby Joyce hits out at Labor over their climate change stance
Barnaby Joyce has lashed out at Labor in a fiery rant, claiming they value climate change over the “dignity” of hardworking Australians.
News
Don't miss out on the headlines from News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Barnaby Joyce has hit out at Labor over their focus on climate change and stance on the Adani mine, branding it the reason they lost the federal election.
The former deputy prime minister retained his New England seat in the election, which the Coalition claimed unexpectedly over Labor.
Speaking to Sky News, Mr Joyce claimed Labor valued tackling climate change over the “dignity” and livelihood of working Australians.
“You’ve got to understand what is at the forefront of people’s minds,” he said.
“You might have a climate change debate, and you might think that’s very important, but more important than that is the dignity in people’s lives.”
Labor’s failure to back either side of the Adani coal mine debate is likely the reason they lost two major seats in north Queensland.
Mr Joyce said people cared more about having access to electricity than they did about the environment, which is why he received 73 per cent of the vote for his seat.
He claimed increasingly expensive power bills were resulting in thousands of families being unable to pay for electricity.
“We cannot have kids coming home from school and not having so much as a toaster in the house because they don’t have power,” Mr Joyce said.
“They don’t have a fridge, they don’t have a television, they don’t have a washing machine, they don’t have an electric heater because they don’t have electricity.
“Because the wonderful spirits out there have said there is something more important than dignity in your life.”
In a fiery rant, Mr Joyce claimed Labor’s focus on renewable energy would “send people back to the time of candles” due to families being unable to keep up with the cost of rising bills.
“There is something more important than these people being taken out of poverty,” Mr Joyce said.
“What right do we have to put these people back to the time of candles?”
Mr Joyce insisted energy prices would soar under a Labor government, though the energy policy released by the ALP projected a reduction in power prices.
Labor claimed power prices would fall as more people took up incentives to install renewable energy systems like solar.
Under the policy, 100,000 households earning less than $180,000 a year would receive $2000 rebates for solar batteries.
However, Mr Joyce said Labor were out of touch with the concerns of blue-collar Australians.
He vowed to use his position to fight for affordable power.
“That is the issue that should be at the forefront of our nation’s debate,” he said.
“Put aside these other people with indolent purposes and excess money who prophesy what they want the world to be while they go home to an electric blanket.”
Originally published as Barnaby Joyce hits out at Labor over their climate change stance
Dingo bites tourist at popular holiday spot
The tourist was walking to the toilet when she was attacked by a dingo, prompting authorities to warn other visitors about the importance of safety.
Fury over ‘brutal’ abuser’s prison perks
He kept a woman captive for three years, brutally abusing her and causing lifelong damage, but this “monster” could soon be free on “gardening leave”.