We know 82% is never going to happen. We know we are going to be pauperised. We know that politicians - and it is not just Labor - will not be punished for their arrogant stupidity.

Nor do we need ‘net’ anything. We simply need to get back to sanity - back to coal and gas, and no more silly bloody myths about carbon dioxide. Cheap energy, more production, and an end to globalisation and the United Nations.

There weren't 8bn hominids walking around 40m years ago. Now we need a stable climate for water supply, food production and coping with extreme weather events. In prehistoric times the hominids must have either died or moved on but they never had newspapers to maintain a record.

There's no way Australia will get from 35% renewables to 82% in 7 years. Around 1975 it was about 25% renewables after the big hydro build. Given the MRET started in 2001 the current 35% isn't that impressive. That was backed by generous subsidies, took up the best wind sites and most who could afford solar panels got them. Think of it as the low hanging fruit so it gets harder from now on. I'd bet London to a brick in 2030 taxpayers will be maintaining big coal stations while conserving gas exports. Alas SMRs probably won't be available until after 2030.

Cash for clunkers will solve the problem.
Attack the poor where it least matters.
All praise to Albert Sneezy…everymans hero!

If CO2 emissions was a real concern and I believe it is. Then we need to power the economy with a source that is both carbon free and will give the economy a huge boost and kill inflation dead in its tracks!

And here I'm referring to nuclear power as SMRs that can be connected to microgrids and power prices as low as 6 cents PKWH.

China has apparently perfected MS thorium and is looking for buyers of these reactors. We should be in the market for a few dozen and place them in similar situations as above. And reap the benefit of power prices as low or lower than 3 cents PKWH. Or use them as nuclear waste burners burning waste, we are paid annual millions to take.

These reactors will produce the miracle cancer cure, the alpha particle, bismuth 213 as a free nuclear decay product from thorium! And among other things, generate huge medical tourism.

You don't have to be a complete moron not to see the benefits of a transition to MSR thorium ASAP, but it has to help.

Bowen says nuclear is going nowhere! Why? Well, that down to the labor party and their rank stupidity and there asinine kow towing to the moribund antinuclear (stupidity personified) greens!
Alan B.

How is your superannuation looking? Australian super schemes are going to bankroll unreliable energy development in Europe because nobody in the area is stupid enough to do it. In jump stupid Australians, with other people's money.

Lionel Lemming here, from Liberal Lemmings Liberation League.

It is well known, that we do not surge off of cliffs, that is just an unfortunate Disney story. Even if we did, there is no way, that we could begin to be as stupid, as Woke Albanese Labor.

Net Zero is the biggest policy blunder in peacetime history.

Net zero with labor's renewables and battery or pumped hydro backup, is going to give us the world most expensive energy. What we don't pay for directly will be paid for by the taxpayer as subsidies.

What butt sucking labor and the moronic greens ignore is nuclear is carbon free and much, much cheaper than labor's battery and pumped hydro backed renewables.

China has ironed out all the bugs in MSR thorium and is now looking for buyers for these reactors.

While we are getting premium prices for our export commodities, we should invest in a few dozen of these and even fuel some with nuclear waste we are paid annual millions to take. And in doing, create the world's cheapest industrial power.

Back that up with tax reform as a flat tax of fifteen percent everybody pays, will ensure we are all but trampled in the rush by energy dependant high-tech manufacturers. And reap the economic boom of unprecedented proportions that will create as well as many high paid high skilled jobs!

It may seem counter intuitive, but a flat tax of 15% will see the ATO take a bigger annual cashflow and given there will be no tax returns paid or necessary, keep more of it for capital expenditure on roads, rail and other essential infrastructure.

And taxpayers will be able to put the averaged tax compliance costs of around 7% back on the bottom line, a win, win all round for the taxpayers and the ATO! And the end of bracket creep! The future of tax increases will be made by increasing the number of taxpayers not by asinine bracket creep!
Alan B.

You may well be spot on Alan, but I am afraid such enlightenmet is a
whole season of blackouts away. Then everyone will have the same
bright idea and the queue will be decades long.
In the meantime we will have to develop survival techniques.

The writer does not 'believe' in the 'free market' nor follow science?

One would prefer to trust climate science & economic experts, but if you want to cite farmers, many anecdotally suggested climate change was real in the '80-90s, observing changing seasons and new variance in weather, in SE Oz.

It's a threat to the mining and fossil fuel manipulated (QLD dominated with LNP) National Party as they lose younger voters in regions who follow climate science and/or free market, as the NP ignores them in favour above median age support in regions (with much media help)?

According to Burn-Murdoch in the FT:

'Economics may take us to net zero all on its own. The plummeting cost of low-carbon energy has already allowed many countries to decouple economic growth from emissions'

https://www.ft.com/content/967e1d77-8d3c-4256-9339-6ea7025cd5d3

Helped not just by free market policies but EU net zero encouragement; in the embedded graphic the Anglosphere is lagging, quelle surprise....