Roger admits he will take a rational approach to emissions now the election is over

The Shadow Minister for Energy Dr Steve Thomas says the admission by Premier Roger Cook that his Government has stepped away from state emissions targets legislation would have been good to know before the election, even as he welcomed the comments afterwards.

“I think that setting 2030 targets for emissions in the State of Western Australia would have forced the Government into an impossible choice between appeasing the Greens and keeping the state’s lights on and industries operating” Dr Thomas said.

“I have no doubt that they were happy to let the voting community continue to think they were planning to legislate some unviable and undeliverable targets for 2030 in order to attract green votes but finally realised that it was not only undeliverable but actually detrimental to the state and the community.

Yesterday the  Premier said that “The original question was whether we will have a 2030 target, and quite frankly I am not sure that is in Western Australia’s best interest.”

“In my view the decision to dump the plan must have been taken well before the March election” Dr Thomas said.

“What is at issue here is not whether the Government has taken the correct decision, but why it has again thrown transparency and accountability out of the window.”

Dr Thomas agreed with Premier Cook that emissions would probably rise in the short to medium term in Western Australia as our gas and critical minerals sectors continued to play an ever increasingly vital role in the global energy transition.

“Western Australia has two key roles in the energy space in the next decade” Dr Thomas said.

“The first is to keep the lights on and supply the power industry needs here in WA at a price that both domestic and industrial users can afford.

“There are huge questions marks about whether the Government can achieve this, because the current transition plan is inadequate and underfunded.

“The second role is to contribute to the global transition by supplying the world with the raw materials it will need. The Premier said as much yesterday, so he agrees.

“Both of these roles must not be inhibited or undermined by unnecessary legislation.

“I am simply asking the Government to be more open and transparent about it.”