Mandatory climate laws

In a must-read article this week, former Liberal party senator and senior advisor to John Howard, Michael Baume, identifies for the Dutton opposition a winning issue. As Mr Baume, a regular Speccie columnist, reveals, hidden within the Coalition’s budget in reply speech was a critical commitment to repeal one of the most sinister plans of the Albanese government, which we have dubbed its ‘Carbon Inquisition’.

Its what?

Labor, in cahoots with the Greens and the Teals, have introduced mandatory climate reporting laws, whereby even small businesses and suppliers to larger businesses will be increasingly forced to comply with onerous carbon emissions reporting. The continuation of these laws was reiterated, but largely ignored, in Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ budget, despite the devastating impact they will have on productivity and profit margins across the nation.

As Michael Baume writes, ‘Carrying severe penalties, including prison, the new law is aimed at forcing the private sector to meet the government’s net-zero climate agenda – at the private sector’s (and ultimately Australian consumers’) huge cost.’ Mr Baume also points out, almost as an aside, that such climate compliance laws are so draconian that even the Biden administration decided against implementing them.

There is no doubt, in the view of this publication, that if publicised properly and fought aggressively, this issue alone would be enough to deny the Albanese government a second term. As with the Voice referendum, there is an innate conservative majority in the country that can be stirred to action when presented with extreme and ‘unfair’ government overreach.

(Another must-read this week is Rebecca Weisser on how a Labor win will lead to the Voice being reintroduced by stealth.)

Indeed, prosecuted with vim and vigour, the issue of enforced net zero compliance and reporting could easily galvanise public outrage.

So why aren’t the Coalition shouting about mandatory emissions reporting from the rafters?

Again, Mr Baume astutely spills the beans when he writes, ‘Implementing this significant Coalition promise, which is to repeal the Albanese government’s… mandatory climate reporting law, would play an important role in putting an end to any remaining fantasy of achieving net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. But the Coalition appears to want to do so without actually running the political risk of overtly saying so.’

If true, what fools. And what a tragedy. Mr Baume’s assumption certainly appears to be correct based on the deafening silence on this issue so far. This can only be because of the disastrous twin decisions – firstly to commit to net zero by former prime minister Scott Morrison and then to recommit to the Paris Agreement by Peter Dutton only a few months ago – which are directly responsible for denying Coalition candidates and supporters the one issue that could win them the election in a landslide – opposition to net zero. The Coalition is running this election race having tied its own shoelaces together at the start. Shame on all those within the Coalition, almost certainly themselves renewables investors, who are responsible for this idiocy.

There is no question that ongoing mandatory emissions compliance will be a huge emotional and financial drain on businesses, farmers, landowners, business suppliers and even families. This is the logical end point of the climate cult’s obsession with attaining net zero emissions, where every ounce of carbon has to be accounted for and confessed to. This isn’t green tape, this is a green hangman’s noose around the neck of tens of thousands of Australian businesses. Yet as Mr Baume points out, the Coalition are frightened to make these laws a key issue because of their own timidity. This Coalition faint-heartedness is a point emphasised by James Allan who writes in his column this week, ‘This Liberal party election platform isn’t going to set anyone’s heart alight with excitement, is it? I think this is a big mistake. The Dutton advisors are too poll-driven. Too small-target. Too keen to try to please institutions (think the ABC) and people who will never support or vote for them.’

Cowardice and dissembling was there for all to see when, appearing on a Paul Murray Live ‘pub test’ on Sky News Australia this week, Peter Dutton was asked specifically about net zero. His long, rambling and obfuscatory answer failed to even repeat those two obnoxious words. The closest he came to telling the truth about the madness of climate policies was when he muttered something about ‘views on this issue will evolve over time’. But now is the time. Now is the election. This is why we have elections. So that alternative approaches can be put to the electorate and the case for a change of direction vigourously prosecuted and fought for.

The single greatest impediment to lowering the cost of living in this country is our ever-increasing and debilitating net zero commitment. Forget about bleating about Trump’s tariffs or gas reservations or building houses or trimming immigration or anything else. By far the most significant action any Australian government could take to shore up our future prosperity is to abandon net zero. The failure to address or admit this fact could well return the Albanese team to government.

Oh, and check out Ian Plimer in this week’s issue on the ‘carbon crisis’. But that’s another story altogether!