Federal election 2016: De Lacy claims ALP energy polic will hurt

The ALP’s 50 per cent renewable energy target by 2030 would cost blue-collar jobs and hit poor people hardest.

The ALP’s 50 per cent renewable energy target by 2030 would cost blue-collar jobs and hit poor people hardest, according to former Queensland Labor treasurer Keith De Lacy.

Writing in The Australian today, the former treasurer says Labor’s target would have enormous ramifications for economic growth and living standards, and disproportionate impacts on traditional Labor constituencies.

He says ALP policy has escaped scrutiny during the campaign.

He says wind and solar energy are inefficient and supply only 1 per cent of Australia’s energy consumption despite billions of dollars invested, including subsidies, tariffs and mandates.

Based on evidence overseas, Mr De Lacy says Australia could easily double the price of electricity and get nowhere near the ALP’s 50 per cent target.

But that would mean the rapid disappearance of blue-collar jobs in high-energy industries such as manufacturing, car and ship building, smelting and refining, steelmaking and food processing. “A clean green economy has no place for high-viz shirts!”, he writes.

Mr De Lacy says rapidly rising electricity prices and consequent cost-of-living increases would disproportionately affect people at the bottom of the income scale.

New research from the Climate Institute showing public support for action on climate change and renewable energy is at its highest levels since 2008.

Climate Institute chief executive John Connor said research including national Galaxy polling showed voter concern about climate change had surged 20 per cent to 72 per cent since the 2013 election. The Climate Institute report says 27 per cent of voters are very concerned about climate change, 45 per cent are fairly concerned, 19 per cent not at all concerned and 7 per cent don’t know.

A Lowy Institute poll has found 53 per cent of Australian adults see global warming as “a serious and pressing problem and that we should begin taking steps now even if this involves significant costs.”

Of those polled, 88 per cent see the use of fossil fuels as “in decline around the world and Australia should invest more in alternative energy sources”.

However 53 per cent say Australia has abundant supplies of fossil fuels and should continue to use and export them to keep the economy strong.

The same majority favoured the Coalition’s direct action scheme that pays business for emissions reduction projects.

Forty per cent of Australians say they would prefer the government introduce an emissions trading scheme or price on carbon, where people pay for their carbon emissions.

The ALP proposes a two-stage emissions trading scheme and a higher renewable energy target of 50 per cent by 2030. Labor environment spokesman, Mark Butler, said Labour would make sure that the transition in electricity was a “just transition” for affected workers and regional communities.

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