Labor states unite to jeopardise Josh Frydenberg’s NEG deal

Victoria, Queensland claim Josh Frydenberg’s energy policy must first go to the Coalition party room before they will sign up.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. Picture: AAP

Victoria has united with other Labor states to push back on signing the National Energy Guarantee at a COAG energy meeting scheduled for Friday, unless the Turnbull Government can prove it has been endorsed by the Coalition’s party room.

In a potentially fatal upset for the Coalition’s signature energy policy, Andrews government ministers have resolved that Victoria will band together with other Labor states to reach a joint position on whether they will sign up to the agreement’s framework this Friday.

The state governments will release a joint announcement tomorrow.

Andrews government Cabinet members met this afternoon to finalise the state’s position on the National Energy Guarantee ahead of a Council of Australian Government’s energy meeting on Friday.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and state ministers decided earlier in the day Queensland wouldn’t sign up to the agreement on Friday, because they refused to sign a “blank piece of paper” which hadn’t yet been endorsed by the Turnbull Government’s own backbench.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: AAP

She also attacked Mr Frydenberg for his management of the COAG Energy Council meeting on Friday, arguing that he had not yet circulated the papers needed by the states and territories to sign up to the Turnbull government’s energy reform blueprint.

“First of all, this must go through Malcolm Turnbull’s party room,” Ms Palaszczuk said. “At the moment we’ve got Josh Frydenberg out there trying to put state against state, territory against territory. Well, frankly that’s not on”.

“What we need to see is very clear certainty from Malcolm Turnbull’s party room when it comes to the national energy guarantee”.

“We support a national framework but we want to see the legislation and we want to see it through Malcolm Turnbull’s party room first”.

“There will be discussions on Friday. But how can you commit to something when you are given a blank piece of paper. In all honesty here, how can you expect states to go along to a national meeting of energy ministers when they don't have the papers — and I just checked my office before I can mere — the papers have not been circulated for Friday’s meeting”.

Speaking after the meeting of Victorian ministers, Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said the government was now working with other state governments to reach a joint position.

“The Victorian Government continues to assess the impact of the NEG on energy jobs, supply and prices.

“We are working with other Governments for greater certainty and we’ll have more to say on our position shortly.

“We again call upon the Prime Minister to demonstrate he can deliver the NEG through his own party room before asking others to sign up to it.”

Victorian Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio.

Her comments follow those of Premier Daniel Andrews, who told reporters on Sunday the state couldn’t take any confidence in the agreement given that Mr Frydenberg was still dealing with significant resistance to the plan in his own party room.

“(Liberal party room support) is at best uncertain, I think if you went and had a chat with Tony Abbott he’d give you a very clear view of what his priorities are, and I think he’s got significant support in the Prime Minister’s party room,” Mr Andrews said on Sunday.

“We are not signing up to the NEG until the Prime Minister can demonstrates that he’s actually got the numbers in his own government to deliver on the commitments he is making.”

Ms D’Ambrosio has repeatedly expressed concerns that the guarantee could leave Victoria and potentially Queensland, carrying the lion’s share of emissions reductions, for no ­additional benefit.

Both states remain committed to pursuing their own ­renewable energy targets under the guarantee which means their contribution to the renewable energy production is much higher than other states.

But Mr Frydenberg has resolved states going it alone with their own ­renewable energy targets won’t get additional concessions and benefits to reflect their disproportionate contribution to the clean energy supply.

Ms D’Ambrosio has repeatedly hit back that Victoria’s support for the plan is contingent on “bi-partisanship in lower emissions (and) growing renewables” and all state signatories making genuine efforts to lower their greenhouse gas emissions, rather than relying on Victoria.