Time is not on Peter Dutton’s side as the prime minister moves to more solid ground on climate policy.
For years, a favourite conservative talking point has been the imminent danger, should the madness of renewables be permitted to take over the country, of the lights going out. It’s a great phrase, carrying both its literal meaning and the larger, metaphorical suggestion of society crumbling.
In fact, Minns’ argument had quite a different spin on it, that tells us quite a bit about where the energy transition in this country is up to. Yes, this was about making sure the lights didn’t go out, he said – because if the lights went out the public would lose faith in the transition to renewables. In other words, that transition was well and truly under way – and given that concrete fact, it was the job of government to smooth the path, both substantively and politically.
For years, climate scientists have been telling us that time is of the essence; Peter Dutton is now essentially saying he disagrees.Dutton’s announcement last week was inevitable. Once nuclear was the plan , with its long-range timeframe, emissions cuts would obviously be delayed until later. But his confirmation was still a hugely significant moment. It re-opens the climate wars, for the simple reason that time matters: acting now is far more useful than acting later.
Albanese’s case last week suggests the ground may have moved. With coal-fired stations like Eraring shutting or threatening to shut, and plenty of debate about exactly who is investing in what type of technology, there is a sense of having entered choppy waters.The transition to renewables has been going on for some time, of course; but until recently it could often feel more hypothetical than actual. Now it is messy – with compromises and false steps.
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