The government’s already troubled plans to reduce electricity costs were further disrupted after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese contracted COVID-19 and was forced to postpone Wednesday’s national cabinet meeting.
In recent days, the prime minister had stepped in to try to negotiate a deal with eastern states to limit coal prices, but the states have yet to see any major points and the chances of a final outcome this week were already slim.
Annastacia Palaszczuk says she will not settle for any energy deal that worsens her condition.
The procedure was left in limbo Monday night following revelations that Mr. Albanese had tested positive for COVID-19 and there was no indication of when he would meet with state and territory leaders.
“I will isolate myself and continue to paint from home,” said M. Albanese.
Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley wanted Mr Albanese but said millions of others were counting on the assembly to help them with the burden of life and wondered if the prime minister could handle the assembly’s video link.
With New South Wales and Queensland firmly maintaining their demands for federal reimbursement if they had to limit the value of coal used for electricity generation, and four cabinet ministers unable to find a way, the prime minister had begun negotiating directly with the state prime minister.
The governments of New South Wales and Queensland had hoped to get a detailed proposal from the Commonwealth for the first time on Monday ahead of the now-postponed national cabinet meeting.
But by the end of the day, none had heard from Canberra, raising pessimism about the lack of time for a detailed review of whether the assembly had taken place.
A NSW source said the state government had no idea what the proposal was based on, such as the value the federal government was seeking to limit coal to, or even whether the limits would be negotiated on a mine-by-mine basis.
The heads of state and territory were due to meet in Sydney on Tuesday, that is now uncertain.
To diminish the power of families and businesses, the government announced a “temporary and significant” intervention in the market.
It is about to impose a cap of $11 to $13 consistent with gigajoules in non-contracted gas. But because most of the coal used to generate electricity in New South Wales is under contract, it needs states to impose their own caps, either by contract and coal without a contract. Limiting coal with a contract will not have a significant effect on electricity prices.
NSW argues that this will require significant reimbursement in terms of lost royalties and contract losses. He also argues that the Commonwealth imposes caps because that’s his idea.
Apart from that, New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet said he is “on a unity ticket” with Mr Südear.
“My position has been incredibly clear; we are in negotiations with the Commonwealth Government to push down energy prices,” he said on Monday.
“However, at the same time, if there is a scenario where caps are in position that lead to compensation, then I don’t need New South Wales taxpayers to have to foot that bill. “
Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones called on states to step in and said “we want a moment for the Australian team. “
Queensland is even more complicated. The government owns the electric power turbines and as many coal mines as power them. It fears a loss of dividends from its turbines, some of which are returned to families to pay bills.
Prime Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk, who has also been in normal contact with Mr. Albanese in recent days, reinforced her call for Monday that she would ask for full federal reimbursement for any lost dividends or royalties.
“I’ve stayed true to my guns on this, we’re very, very sure of ourselves that no Queenslander would be worse off,” he said.
“As I have made clear, we have set our parameters and Queensland owns our assets.
“Some of those benefits pass on to Queenslanders directly to our households, to the tune of $175 last quarter. “
Earlier on Monday, Albanese clashed with South Australia’s Labor Prime Minister Peter Malinauskas, who investigated the nuclear force for his state.
Malinauskas had argued that the imaginable meeting of nuclear submarines in Adelaide was an opportunity for Labour, i. e. those in the Albanian left-wing faction of Labour, to reconsider their opposition to nuclear power.
Mr Albanese paid attention to this.
“I have a lot of respect for Mali, but everyone has the right to be about one or two things,” he told Five AA radio.
“I haven’t replaced my brain which is a huge distraction from what we want to do. It just doesn’t fit. That is necessarily the problem. Every five years or so, we have this economic research to determine if nuclear power accumulates. “and each and every time it is rejected.
“I think you have the waste challenge and you know where it’s going,” he said. “So I think it’s a distraction from what we want to do. That is my position and it has not changed.
Federal Shadow Energy Minister Ted O’Brien, who is a nuclear energy policy choice for the Coalition, applauded the prime minister.
“The prime minister’s common-sense technique stands in stark contrast to Prime Minister Albanese’s irrational refusal to engage in a mature verbal exchange about the imaginable role of complex nuclear generation in Australia. “
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