TRANSCRIPT - SKY NEWS NEWSDAY WITH KIERAN GILBERT

PAUL FLETCHER MP

Shadow Minister for Science and the Arts

Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy

Manager of Opposition Business in the House

TRANSCRIPT

SKY NEWS NEWSDAY

9 MAY 2024


KIERAN GILBERT: Let's go live now to the manager of opposition business, Paul Fletcher. We've got a big week coming with budget week. I want to get to a bit of that in a moment. But on the gas plan announced today, what's your read on it? It's been very warmly welcomed by the gas producers. The government's strategy on this one, Paul Fletcher 

PAUL FLETCHER: Well, Kieran, the government seems after two years to have finally realised what everybody else has been saying, which is that gas has a critical role to play in the transition to net zero. Now it's taken Chris Bowen a very long time to recognise that fact. He's been resisting a future role for gas. And of course, state Labor governments around the country are extremely resistant in many cases. The Victorian government in particular, are so very much a case of better late than never, as I think the paper or the plan released by the government points out, over 20% of energy needs of Australia are met by natural gas, and it will have a critical role as the percentage of renewables in the system increases because gas plants can be turned on and off at very short notice, and that is critical to compensating for the variability that is a necessary feature of wind and solar energy generation. 

KIERAN GILBERT: That's a really good point that you can turn them off and on quickly. That's not something that can be said of nuclear power. Does this nullify the need for the coalition's plans on nuclear? 

PAUL FLETCHER: Absolutely not. Because nuclear has the capacity to provide baseload. And certainly, Ontario is one good example. The province of Ontario, the largest province in Canada, around 60% of energy in that province coming from nuclear, but over 30% coming from renewables. So nuclear absolutely can complement renewables in a very important way. But let's be clear, we're talking about plans over the next 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 50 or longer years. And you need to have a recognition of the different phases and stages. Certainly, the government's recognition, the Albanese Labor government's belated recognition of the role of gas is very important. And of course, at that point that gas today is a significant part of our energy mix. So some of these anti-gas zealots amongst the left of Labour or amongst the Greens are enthusiastically trying to drive gas out of the system without a clear plan for what will replace it. And for a long time we haven't seen much sense on this topic from Chris Bowen. So I think in terms of what's come out today, it's taken the government two years to get there, but there is the recognition of some realities there. But I would add this cautionary note. There's a big difference between a plan and acting on the plan. And let's wait and see whether, in fact, we do actually see state Labor governments start to agree to new gas supply, to new gas resources actually being tapped. 

KIERAN GILBERT: That's a message, actually, I think, from the gas producers as well. We'll talk to the chief executive of that organisation in a moment. On the budget week, the government is trying to walk the fine line between providing support on the one hand, but not fuelling inflation Is it time next week as well for Peter Dutton to put a bit more meat on the bone, so to speak, when it comes to his own alternative economic views? 

PAUL FLETCHER: Well, the first thing we need to see next week is the Albanese Labor government and Jim Chalmers starting to repair some of the damage they've done in two years, two in which real incomes are down 7.5%. So that means for every Australian family, the amount of petrol you can buy or the amount of groceries you can buy, or the amount of services you can buy is reduced by 7.5%. That is why Australians are feeling that they are worse off than two years ago. Because they are. And in turn, that's because of a failure of economic management and of budgetary management by Jim Chalmers and by Anthony Albanese. And we need to see them getting that under control, you know, respected independent economic commentator Chris Richardson made this point very powerfully in an article this morning that essentially, the toolkit to deal with an inflation breakout is well understood. The question is whether this government has got the courage to take the steps that need to be taken, or whether they will go for what is the easiest short term -

KIERAN GILBERT: And time for more detail as well from the opposition? 

PAUL FLETCHER: Well, look, we've -

KIERAN GILBERT: In terms of your alternative plans

PAUL FLETCHER: We've already offered significant detail in terms of our policy approaches, and we'll continue to work to share with people our policies well ahead of the next election. When it comes time for people to make the choice between a Peter Dutton led government or an Anthony Albanese led government, they will be clear about what that choice involves. And I think people will be, uh, attracted to the idea of having a clear, strong leader rather than one, as we've seen, for example, who appears to be two, frightened to pick up the phone to China to complain about the harassment of Australian Defence Force aircraft in international waters. 

KIERAN GILBERT: Manager of opposition business Paul Fletcher. I'll catch you next week. Look forward to seeing you during budget week. Appreciate it.

PAUL FLETCHER: Thanks, Kieran.