The week in review
Chris Bowen is a busy man at the moment.
Not only does he have to look after the affairs of his constituents in his federal seat of McMahon, he's also the President of Negotiations for this year's COP31 summit.
And if that wasn't enough he's now clearly been instructed to provide a daily press conference at which he outlines how the nation's petrol stations are faring in the current Iran-based fuel crisis.
And that's all aside from his so-called ‘normal' work as the climate change and energy minister.
And with such a heavy workload, sometimes things are going to slip through the cracks and mistakes are going to be made.
However, one would hope that the omission of the nation's 82% renewable energy target from the Labor party's draft national platform isn't an example of a rush to get things gone in these crazy, heady times.
So that rather begs the question, what's going on?
Saul Kavonic, MST Financial senior energy analyst who, it must be said, could surely rival Bowen's hectic schedule at the moment (let's hope he's charging for his omni-present media punditry at the moment), sees the omission as something of a shift for the government.
"I think Chris Bowen and the government have been looking for a way to walk back the 82% renewables target for some time now.
"It's inevitable. They can start walking it back now or be forced to pull it arbitrarily in a few years when it will be impossible to maintain the viability of the target by the time we reach the next election.
Blaming "ideology and the slow pace of the renewable rollout," Kavonic goes further and says he expects the target to become an "ambition" by 2028.
Similarly, Grattan Institute energy program senior fellow Tony Wood says some semantic massaging might be in order.
"The government would fare better by changing the hard deadline to a ‘target range' similar to the goal it revised last year to reduce emissions by 60 per cent to 72 per cent by 2035," he said.
However, despite the naysayers – and let's be frank, there's a lot of people looking for renewables to fail – Bowen says the government is unwaveringly still committed to its 82% target.
Referring to the textual change – in a press conference at which he came under strong fire from Channel 7's Spotlight reporter Liam Bartlett – Bowen was resolute.
"The platform is a high-level document. We have a high-level statement of principles in our platform. It does say Labor will implement Australia's net zero carbonisation plan, including the 82%.
"Let me make it clear: 82% is government policy. Has been government policy. Is government policy. Remains government policy. Is the position of the government."
So, there you have it. Straight from the horse's mouth. The target of 82% won't be dropped. Or reframed. Or loosened.*
Yours,
Russell Yeo
Editor Energy News Bulletin
*Until maybe the government changes its mind.
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