Resources Minister Matthew Canavan has attacked major oil and gas companies for their ongoing support for a carbon price and urged them to rethink their position, saying they were out of step with the Australian people.
The Conservative Party agrees, having consistently called out climate change alarmism as “a dangerous cult” and says nothing we do to mitigate climate change will make any appreciable difference to the world’s climate.
The Australian reports, Senator Canavan, who was largely credited for the Coalition’s electoral success in coal mining seats in Queensland, said voters had rejected a carbon price at four elections and business needs to listen to the will of mainstream Australia.
He will today use a speech to the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association conference to make the case for business to back down on a carbon price and also warn banks against opposing resources projects.
The anti-carbon price agenda will be outlined as newly elected Labor leader Anthony Albanese, who will convene his first caucus meeting at Parliament House today, faces pressure to overhaul the party’s climate change policies after the opposition lost seats to the Coalition in Queensland, New South Wales and Tasmania.
Labor has an emissions reduction target of 45 per cent by 2030 and a 50 per cent renewable energy target to be achieved over the same timeframe.
In an interview with The Australian ahead of his APPEA speech, Senator Canavan cautioned that social media commentary from “loud Australians” had skewed the debate and the volume needs to be turned down.
“This has led to unfortunate positions being taken by some large companies in the resources sector and the financial sector. Many in the resources sector have continued to call for a generic price on carbon,” he said.
“However, we’ve now had four elections in a row where the Australian people have rejected such a policy and perhaps it’s time we all listen to the democratic will of the Australian people. On the financial side, we’ve seen major financial institutions decide to bar large sections of our own economy from receiving finance from our own banks. This has led to the perverse outcome where Australian projects and Australian jobs are having to resort to seek overseas finance,” he continued.
“In light of the election, I would encourage the financial sector to review some of these policies and to ensure lending decisions are based on commercial and business considerations, not the influence of some loud and undemocratic voices within our community.”
A third key component of his speech will demand the resources sector align its corporate communications with the views and desires of its workforce.
Senator Canavan said he often received complaints from workers frustrated by mandatory gender diversity policies and “other political causes” imposed on them.
His climate rebuke will ratchet up tensions with some of Australia’s powerful resources producers, who are pressing for a carbon price amid pressure from their shareholders to boost their environmental credentials.
