LABOR ABANDONS BIPARTISANSHIP PUTTING OFFSHORE GAS AT RISK
Labor’s appalling approach to bipartisanship has been displayed yet again, with their unnecessary capitulation to Greens pressure to block voting on their own legislation fixing offshore gas regulations.
Senator McDonald, Shadow Minister for Resources, said that despite the Government finally coming to the table earlier this week to accept the Coalition’s calls to reform offshore gas consultation regulations and secure more gas supply, Labor decided to throw it out the window with a last minute blocking of their own legislation and walked away from the bill in the Senate when Greens pressure sent them running scared.
Senator McDonald said that “despite finally securing bipartisan support for offshore gas reform that the Coalition has been demanding for 18 months, Labor has slapped away the hand of bipartisanship at the last minute.
“It is disappointing to see the Environment Minister empire-building by seizing control of the Resources Minister’s decisions, standing ready to block gas projects in order to secure Greens votes in her Sydney electorate.
“This Labor Government has broken their word, crumbled to activist pressure, moved amendments that watered down these urgent reforms to secure Australia’s energy future, and most alarmingly blocked a vote on their own bill while negotiating secret deals with the Greens.
“If Labor are so quick to cave to activist pressure on the enabling legislation, I have little confidence that the substantive regulatory reforms will actually deliver any benefit to the offshore gas industry.
“Labor has made a mess of the gas market, and it is a weak excuse to attempt to blame others for their own poor policy decisions.
“There can be no doubt anymore that Labor will be wholly responsible when the lights go out and energy prices go up across Australia.
“This incompetent Labor Government has failed time and again to do the basics and deliver the certainty and stability our resources industry needs to continue creating jobs and prosperity for all Australians.”
ENDS