Federal Government should butt out of state powers before the lights go out

The WA Shadow Minister for Energy Dr Steve Thomas says comments by the Federal Minister for Energy Chris Bowen on how he would control from Canberra how States power proposed data centres have plainly demonstrated both his contempt for the role of the states and his ignorance of the energy needs they will have to supply.

“Section 51 of the Australian Constitution outlines the areas that the Commonwealth can make laws for, and not one of the 39 topics it contains mentions energy production” Dr Thomas said.

“The Commonwealth has made a complete hash of our nation’s energy policy by enforcing undeliverable mandates and blind ideology, so to suggest that they should be able to ride roughshod over the States even further is arrogant in the extreme.

“Frankly it’s time for the Commonwealth to butt out of the roles rightly managed by the States.

“We are sick of being dictated to by Canberra on issues they plainly do not understand and cannot deliver.

“They have recently imposed a whole new environmental approvals process and a whole new gas reservation policy, both of which threaten to undermine the economic development of Western Australia, including the energy we will need to power it.

“They are also intent on imposing offshore wind energy on WA, where it is not viable and not wanted, even by the State Labor Government.

“Now they want to add another layer of federal interference to an already Canberra-centric bureaucratic overload in relation to data centres.

“Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory all have pro-development Governments that are underpinning the national economy, and once again Canberra is set on interfering with their constitutional right to look after the interests of their communities. 

“Frankly I for one don’t want Anthony Albanese and Chris Bowen imposing their every whim on the State of Western Australia” Dr Thomas said.