Tony Abbott seeks sign-off on national ­energy guarantee

Tony Abbott has challenged Malcolm Turnbull to give government MPs a final say on his national ­energy guarantee.

Tony Abbott arrives for question time yesterday. Picture: AAP

Tony Abbott has challenged Malcolm Turnbull to give government MPs a final say on his national ­energy guarantee before it goes to the states for approval, warning the Prime Minister of the electoral consequences of failing to spare voters the pain of rising power ­prices.

The Coalition energy wars erupted again yesterday in the joint partyroom, after Newspoll revealed the government was now trailing Labor on the question of which party was better to maintain energy supplies and lower power prices. The former prime minister reminded Mr Turnbull that ­energy policy had been a crucial issue in three of the past four federal elections. He was backed by ­five backbenchers who ­expressed alarm over the pain power prices were causing the government.

Mr Abbott called for the partyroom to be given the full detail of the NEG, including the trajectory of its emission cuts, before it was given to COAG energy ministers for approval at an August meeting.

But Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg said the partyroom had already considered the NEG, and would have another chance to review the policy after COAG signed off on the plan and legislation was drafted. He said the phasing-in of emissions cuts under the NEG would occur “at least cost”.

Mr Frydenberg said the government had managed to bring down wholesale power prices by 30 per cent. He said it was hoped retail energy prices in Queensland would fall in the next pricing ­period, from July, but prices were expected to remain flat in NSW and South Australia.

Critics of the plan, which deals simultaneously with carbon emissions, power prices and network reliability, say it will be difficult to debate particular elements of the policy once COAG has approved it. NSW Nationals MP Andrew Gee, the member for Calare, told colleagues that power prices were a “jobs killer” in regional Australia.

NSW Liberal Craig Kelly, an outspoken member of the pro-coal Monash Forum, voiced his concern that Labor was ahead of the Coalition as the better party on ­energy, according to Newspoll.

He said the Coalition needed to highlight the difference between its policy and Labor’s, given Labor was promising a 45 per cent cut to carbon emissions, which would force power prices higher. Luke Howarth, Trevor Evans and Steve Irons also spoke out on the issue.

The Monash Forum energy policy group is set to escalate its campaign for a new coal-fired power station, releasing a series of “fact sheets” in coming weeks highlighting the power “crisis”.

Documents will be distributed once a week to colleagues and posted by MPs on their social media accounts.

Mr Kelly told The Australian there could be up to 14 fact sheets. He said the first would list “coal-fired power stations being constructed worldwide, both in number of units and megawatt hours”. “The ultimate purpose of the Monash Forum is to ensure that Australia regains its competitive advantage in energy,” he said.

Yesterday’s Newspoll revealed only 37 per cent of voters believed the Coalition and Mr Turnbull would be better at maintaining ­energy supply and keeping power prices lower, compared with 39 per cent who backed Labor. Almost a quarter of voters were undecided.

Opposition energy spokesman Mark Butler said Mr Turnbull was being “held hostage” by the hard-right of his partyroom.

“The Turnbull government simply aren’t up to the task of ­delivering sensible, affordable, clean energy policy,” Mr Butler said.

Mr Frydenberg said electricity prices had doubled under Labor, and would continue to rise if it won the election.