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National advocacy group Solutions for Climate Australia has criticised Federal Opposition Leader, Peter Dutton, for not making a single mention of climate change in his Budget in Reply.
“Climate change poses a great threat to Australia’s way of life,” said Dr Barry Traill, Director of Solutions for Climate Australia.
“The economic impact of increased fires, floods and droughts is ignored in the Budget in Reply.
“The increased costs to households from the impact on food production and skyrocketing cost of insurance are also ignored.
“The Coalition has no plan to cut emissions this decade and no plan to protect Australians from intensifying heat, bushfires, flooding, or extreme weather.”
“The Opposition leader’s budget in reply speech revealed that his energy policy will increase carbon pollution by burning gas, a dangerous fossil fuel, until his planned nuclear reactors may or may not come online in decades’ time.
“Mr Dutton’s proposal for nuclear reactors is a political talking point, not a strategy to reduce climate pollution or even reduce power bills,” said Elly Baxter, Senior Climate Campaigner for Solutions for Climate Australia.
“Even in the opposition leader’s best-case scenario, nuclear reactors would not be built and generating energy until the 2040s.
“His plan to increase the use of gas in our energy mix would see climate pollution increase in this critical decade when the scientific consensus says we must urgently reduce emissions to limit catastrophic warming,” she added.
“The Coalition will oppose the government’s Future Made in Australia plan to grow clean industries critical to global efforts to tackle climate change, such as solar manufacturing, green hydrogen and metals, and critical minerals processing.
“With the global competition for a place in the clean economy, bipartisan support for green manufacturing and critical minerals is essential to securing thousands of jobs while meeting emissions reduction targets,” said Dr Traill.
“The Coalition is putting at risk the billions of dollars of private investment that will be required to secure our clean economy future by refusing to support this historic investment in our future.”
