Nats not sorry for sparking furore over energy prices

Queensland’s Nationals MPs are unapologetic about forcing energy prices back on to the national agenda ahead of the election.

Keith Pitt MP Federal Member for Hinkler, at the Bundaberg Walkers foundry in Bundaberg north of Brisbane. Pitt is worried the cost of energy for the business could one day force its closure. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

Queensland’s Nationals MPs are unapologetic about forcing energy prices back on to the national agenda ahead of the election, despite the debate fuelling tensions within the party and federal Coalition.

In a broadside to his interstate government colleagues, Nationals MP Keith Pitt yesterday said issues facing regional Australia were “different to what’s going on in the safe Liberal seats”.

Mr Pitt and five Queensland Nationals last week signed a public letter to Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, urging him to champion the party’s “big stick” energy supplier divestment laws and underwrite a coal-fired power station in the region.

He told The Australian he wrote the letter to put the issues back on the agenda and “force the Queensland government to act” to reduce power prices.

“If we don’t have the big stick, or we don’t commit to building power stations federally, we can’t do a damn thing, we’re hamstrung,” he said.

The letter has reignited questions on Mr McCormack’s leadership and tensions with the Liberals over a proposed coal-fired power station, but Nationals’ insiders said the Queensland MPs had been consistent on the issue and feared that divisions between city-based Liberals and the Nationals would be exploited by One Nation at the election.

Mr Pitt, who holds the Bundaberg-based seat of Hinkler with an 8.4 per cent margin, also put One Nation on notice yesterday that the Nationals would confront the minor party in the campaign.

“One Nation are not our friends, they are our competitors,” he said.

Mr Pitt, who said a vote for One Nation would see Labor end up in government, did not rule out that the Coalition would do a preference deal with the minor party.

“Those discussions are at a state level and national level, but I don’t think they have been done yet,” he said.

“There will always be a discussion, it is just the reality of politics.”

Nationals MPs have privately criticised the relationship Malcolm Turnbull had with Pauline Hanson, who once proved its closeness by phoning the former prime minister from a sugarcane paddock and receiving an immediate answer.

Senior Nationals sources told The Australian it was highly unlikely there would be a leadership spill before the election.

Mr Pitt said he supported both Mr McCormack and Barnaby Joyce in their individual roles in the party.