Sunrise Host Nat Barr Grills Labor Minister on ‘Pie in the Sky’ Emissions Plan: ‘Will You Cut Our Electricity Bills by $1000 a Year?’
- Labor’s net zero plan aims to cut emissions by 62-70% by 2035, with claims it will save households $1000 per year on energy costs
- Energy experts have branded the figure a “bald-faced lie”, with many Aussies skeptical of the promised savings
- Health Minister Mark Butler was grilled by Sunrise host Nat Barr on the plan, with Barr questioning the government’s ability to deliver the promised savings
Nat Barr didn’t hold back when she confronted Health Minister Mark Butler on Sunrise about the Albanese government’s net zero plan, which promises to save households a whopping $1000 per year on energy costs. “How are you going to cut our electricity bills by $1000 a year?” Barr asked bluntly.
Butler stood by the figure, citing Treasury modelling that suggests the transition to clean energy will bring electricity prices down by 13% or $1000 a year over the next decade. However, Barr was not convinced, pointing out that energy experts have labelled the figure a “bald-faced lie”.
The contentious plan, announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday, aims to cut emissions by 62-70% by 2035. To achieve this, the government plans to require more than 90% of electricity to be generated by renewables, build 4000km of new transmission lines, and ensure half of new car sales are electric.
But Barr pressed Butler on the promised savings, asking why Australians should believe the government’s claims. “Before the last election, Albanese said 97 times you would bring our electricity bills down by $275. Now you have all these statistics, and you’re going to bring them down by $1000. Why should Australians believe you?”
Butler explained that the plan was linked to what energy investors said they needed, and that clean energy was the cheapest and cleanest form of new energy. However, Barr remained skeptical, asking if part of the government’s plan was “pie in the sky” stuff.
The tense exchange also saw Barr turn her attention to Liberal senator Jane Hume, accusing the Coalition of not being able to agree if “climate change is real”. Hume hit back, saying the Coalition did believe in climate change, but questioned the cost of the government’s plan.
The debate highlights the intense scrutiny the government’s emissions plan is under, with many Aussies questioning whether the promised savings are realistic and whether the plan is achievable.