5 years ago
MORRISON’S ENERGY POLICY A “TRAGEDY” FOR AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING
MARK BUTLER MP
Just a day after Australia’s largest gold miner blamed Morrison Government energy policy chaos for undermining investment, Australia’s largest steel maker BlueScope Steel has confirmed high energy costs have driven their investment dollars overseas.
After confirming a $1 billion investment in the USA, the CEO of BlueScope lamented the state of Australia’s energy system after six years of Liberal Government, saying:
‘‘Our energy costs are a third in the US of what they are in Australia, which is crazy when you think about how blessed we are in this country.”
‘‘You think about a $1 billion investment that we’re making in North America, at a third of the energy costs that we incur in Australia, that’s a tragedy quite frankly for Australian manufacturing.”
Industry, experts, energy market agencies and the states have consistently blamed the Liberal Government’s inability to develop sensible energy policy for rising prices, investment uncertainty and risks to security. Since their energy crisis began in 2015, wholesale electricity prices have risen by 158 percent while gas prices have tripled.
Yet the Morrison Government still refuses to deliver a national energy policy like the National Energy Guarantee that will restore investor confidence by addressing the need to cut emissions.
The Prime Minister once said “If you are for lower electricity prices, you are for the National Energy Guarantee”. He should take his own advice and finally do his job to deliver energy policy that can lower energy prices for Australian families and businesses.
After confirming a $1 billion investment in the USA, the CEO of BlueScope lamented the state of Australia’s energy system after six years of Liberal Government, saying:
‘‘Our energy costs are a third in the US of what they are in Australia, which is crazy when you think about how blessed we are in this country.”
‘‘You think about a $1 billion investment that we’re making in North America, at a third of the energy costs that we incur in Australia, that’s a tragedy quite frankly for Australian manufacturing.”
Industry, experts, energy market agencies and the states have consistently blamed the Liberal Government’s inability to develop sensible energy policy for rising prices, investment uncertainty and risks to security. Since their energy crisis began in 2015, wholesale electricity prices have risen by 158 percent while gas prices have tripled.
Yet the Morrison Government still refuses to deliver a national energy policy like the National Energy Guarantee that will restore investor confidence by addressing the need to cut emissions.
The Prime Minister once said “If you are for lower electricity prices, you are for the National Energy Guarantee”. He should take his own advice and finally do his job to deliver energy policy that can lower energy prices for Australian families and businesses.