Cheaper electricity, secure jobs and lower emissions

The Nationals are putting Australians first with cheaper electricity, secure jobs and

lower emissions. The Nationals are announcing an all-energy approach, to deliver

the lowest possible electricity prices for Australian households and businesses, while

maintaining reliability and lowering emissions.

Australia can’t afford Labor’s Net Zero plan, which Labor cannot achieve anyway.

Families are paying too much and jobs are being lost. Our environment is suffering

with forests and farmland being destroyed. We need to bring common sense back to

solving climate change.

Our plan puts Australians first, with cheaper electricity and secure jobs, while still

lowering emissions.

Under Labor’s net zero, electricity prices are up by 39 per cent. Gas prices are up by

46 per cent. In the meantime, real wages have dropped back to 2011 levels and

7000 manufacturing jobs have been lost.

The Nationals will abandon a net zero commitment.

We will do our fair share to reduce global emissions, but not more than the rest of

the world. If we continue down Labor’s reckless path, Australians will only feel more

pain, with the estimated cost of net zero at $7 to $9 trillion, or $250,000 per

Australian.

The Nationals have adopted a Cheaper, Better, Fairer energy and climate plan.

• Our plan is cheaper because we will lower energy prices first, use all of our

resources and abandon the commitment to net zero. All carbon taxes and

restrictions should be removed.

• Our plan is better because we will protect our local environment through local

community action such as waterway protection, land restoration and soil

carbon. We will ensure that our national security is not compromised.

• Our plan is fairer because we will reduce emissions in line with comparable

nations, not ahead of them. We will ensure that costs are distributed fairly, not

concentrated on regional Australia.

Australia has cut more emissions than other countries. On average, ‘rich’ countries

have cut their emissions by 14 per cent. OECD countries have been cutting their

emissions by 1 per cent per year. Australia has been cutting its emissions by about 2

per cent per year - double the OECD rate.

Our emissions cuts will be capped and calibrated, which is common sense.

The responsibility will be shared and transparent. There is a proven model, the

Emissions Reduction Fund, that between 2014-2023 facilitated real emission

reductions that didn't ruin the economy.

We will incentivise lower emissions through a renewed Emissions Reduction Fund.

This will be a small fraction of the $9 billion now being spent each year on net-zero

subsidies, regulations, and administrative costs.

Our approach will increase investment in cheaper electricity by broadening the

Capacity Investment Scheme to include all energy technologies and remove the

moratorium on nuclear energy.

Labor’s net zero has failed. We have a plan which is cheaper, better and fairer.