The Greens have today warned that the ongoing crisis in the Queensland energy market is a sign of things to come if we continue to rely on an aging coal fleet to keep the grid secure.

It has been reported that the fire at the Callide Power Station left over 470,000 homes and businesses without power, and the market operator was forced to issue a Level 2 Lack of Reserve notice at 4:44pm to manage the risk of further rolling blackouts.

The Greens have rebuked the Morrison government’s plan to spend hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on a gas plant announced the very same day that the International Energy Agency made it clear that a safe climate means no new fossil fuel projects, starting now.

In a separate attack on Australia’s economy and climate, the government has quietly amended the ARENA rules to allow the renewables agency to invest in fossil fuels coal and gas.

Lines from Leader of the Australian Greens Adam Bandt MP:

Greens Leader Adam Bandt says the Prime Minister must instruct his Health Minister to stop giving mixed messages on vaccines that could delay the national rollout.

As the US government prepares to wind back fossil fuel subsidies in advance of the upcoming G7 meeting, the Morrison Government has today committed to introduce new legislation in June to facilitate over $2 billion of subsidies to the owners of Australia’s two remaining oil refineries, Ampol and Viva Energy. 

Yet, while dubbed the Fuel Security Bill 2021, the Morrison Government has completely left Australia at the back of the pack in the transition to electric transport, refusing to use either regulation or incentives to fast track the roll-out of electric vehicles. 

The Greens have today launched Celeste Liddle as the Greens candidate for Cooper, with Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP declaring her a “fierce” advocate for working people that would take on Australia’s billionaires and the politicians that represent them.

A proud Arrente woman, unionist, feminist and writer, Celeste is on a mission to fight back against the Liberals’ cuts to higher education, their failures to spur wage growth for workers, and years of inaction on the climate crisis. 

The Liberals and Labor have today voted to fund new fossil fuel projects with public money through the Northern Australia Infrastructure Fund, enabling the $5 billion fund to be used on projects like the Beetaloo Basin gas project and Adani.

By siding with the Liberals and voting to put public money into new coal and gas projects, Labor has betrayed climate action, Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP said.

The Australian Greens have used their Budget in Reply speech to announce a new tax on extreme profiteering by billionaires during the pandemic.  
The new tax, which only applies to the 122 richest Australians, will raise $29 billion. It will be taxed on the amount their wealth increased between March 2020 and March 2021.