SENATOR JENNY MCALLISTER

SENATOR FOR NEW SOUTH WALES

DEPUTY CHAIR, SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE INTO THE RESILIENCE OF ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE IN A WARMING WORLD 

THE EVIDENCE IS IN – GOVERNMENT’S ENERGY INACTION IS HURTING THE SECTOR

After holding hearings across the country and considering close to sixty written submissions, the Senate Select Committee into the Resilience of Energy Infrastructure in a Warming World concluded its inquiry on Friday.

The clear message throughout the evidence heard by the committee was that the government’s failure to back an EIS is costing Australian households and businesses, jeopardising energy security, and sabotaging the transition to clean energy.

Labor Senators disagreed with some of the conclusions reached in the Chair’s report and submitted a dissenting report. This recommended the government put in place sensible arrangements to facilitate investment to replace aging generation assets and to manage our transition to a low-emissions energy sector. Much of Australia’s energy infrastructure is ageing and needs to be replaced. Our focus should be energy production that meets the long-term needs of industry and consumers, while delivering on the Australian government target to reduce carbon emissions.

Labor, industry and stakeholders have made it clear this transition needs to be properly managed. It is important that Australians are able to have confidence in the security and reliability of our electricity network, and that we provide assistance to any workers affected by this process.

This has been a consistent message from Labor as well as the industry itself. The recommendations in our dissenting report reflect the climate policy that we were proud to take to the last election. The evidence we received during the inquiry showed they were backed by industry as well. It is time for the government to get on board.

MONDAY, 10 APRIL 2017

MEDIA CONTACT: LYNDAL HOWISON (MCALLISTER) 0404 854 033