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Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
National
Gerard Cockburn

PM visits big greenhouse gas emitter while sledging Labor's energy plan

Labor leader Anthony Albanese touring a battery hub in Brisbane. Also pictured Jim Chalmers (right) and Tony Burke (left). Picture: AAP

The Coalition visited a factory owned by one of the largest fossil fuel emitters at the same time it tried to blow up Labor's climate policy.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday toured a mining robotics site operated by Woodside Petroleum on the same day it backgrounded against Labor's climate and energy policy, claiming consumers would be worse off under the opposition's proposed net zero modelling.

Labor are poised to hit back at the Coalition resurfacing a war of words over potential changes to industrial relations.

Mr Morrison's walkthrough of the Woodside Karda Robotics facility in Perth was to showcase a commitment of $50 million in research and development of the next four years to further improve technology in the minerals sector.

"To have a strong economy, you need to have a strong resources sector," he told journalists.

Woodside is one of the country's largest LNG and oil producers and according to data from the Commonwealth's National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting commission, is the ninth-largest domestic emitter of greenhouse gases.

The ASX-listed company last year also entered a binding agreement to merge with BHP's oil and gas businesses, which has been deemed a ploy by BHP to reduce its exposure to fossil fuels.

Contrastingly, Anthony Albanese on Tuesday toured a battery manufacturing hub as part of its energy and net zero by 2050 pledge.

Greens leader Adam Bandt has also called for a higher rate on the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax, which it claims would drastically improve the fiscal budget position.

Parliamentary Budget Office costing conducted by the Greens shows a 10 per cent royalty on gas offshore in addition to wiping the accumulated PRRT credits would raise the fiscal balance by $92.25 billion over the decade.

"In just one year, 27 big gas corporations brought in $78 billion in income but paid no tax," Mr Bandt said.

"No other business gets their raw materials for free, but Woodside, Chevron and Exxon get free gas from this tax rort and then make obscene profits that they send offshore."

Labor's attempt to put pressure on industrial relations comes after the Coalition refused to rule out the 'better off overall' test could return for a vote in the next parliament.

Labor industrial relations spokesman Tony Burke claims the changes would cut workers pay into the thousands.

"If he succeeds everything from shift allowances to penalty rates is on the chopping block," Mr Burke said.

"By scrapping the 'better off overall' test Mr Morrison's laws will allow for agreements that cut the pay and conditions of workers."

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