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Scott Morrison And The Need For Gas Which He Can Certainly Supply!

Scott Morrison made an announcement…

Now I know what some of you are thinking: Our PM is pretty good with the announcements but it’s the follow-up that counts.

And yes, it’s true that some of his announcements haven’t been backed by strong action. Some of you will remember the “notional” bushfire relief and ask yourself why people are still living in tents but it would be silly to have rebuilt when there’s every likelihood that some of the houses may burn down again this summer.

And yes, some of you will point out that Morrison has a habit of re-announcing programs and funding that has already been announced.

However, today’s announcement is different. After the COVID-19 Committee of Committed Capitalists met and decided that gas was the best way to fix all the economic problems, a lot of people were surprised. Ok, the man running the show had the name, “Power” and he was connected to the gas industry but many people were expecting that maybe these people might suggest something like lifting the unemployment benefit because that could give retailers an extra kick along. But no, they unselfishly looked to the future and decided that we need to something about energy prices which – in spite of coming down $550 thanks to Tony Abbott, and in spite of the National Energy Guarantee that was an excellent policy that merely lacked a few details like exactly what was being guaranteed and exactly how it was going to work – are still too high.

So, after due consideration, Mr Morrison made an exciting announcement: The government will back a gas-fired power station. Just to break down this announcement into the important elements, they’ve said that they’ll build one if nobody else does. Of course, the government would rather it be built by private companies because they’re ideologically opposed to the government actually doing anything, so for them to actually spend taxpayer money to build something would be contrary to their beliefs that they – the government – are capable enough to manage any project or run any industry, so they’d ideally like a private company to step forward, but most private companies would rather make a profit, so it looks like the government will have to pay someone to do the job.

Yes, a new power plant. That should drive energy prices down when it’s eventually built which will be just as soon as the government finds out if anyone is going to build it and then after a process they can announce that they have things under control and that this shouldn’t cause any problems for Australia in meeting its 2030 targets because there’s no way that this will be built anytime before 2045. That should give hope to all the people who’ve lost their jobs and their livelihoods.

Speaking of which, I heard on the news last night that thirty percent of Melbourne restaurants would have to close in the next twelve months because of the COVID-19 restrictions, and I thought that must be a great relief to the owners because I’m sure I read somewhere that most restaurants don’t last twelve months so, not only is the figure lower, but the owners don’t even have to blame themselves for their business collapsing.

Anyway, if only these restaurants could hang on until they could afford the energy prices and if only people would work for free, then they’d surely be able to make a go of it.

At least they won’t have to pay that extra half a percent into people’s super. I’m looking forward to the next Federal Government submission to Fair Work Australia where they tell them that a half percent increase is a given before they even consider arguments for higher increases.

But I’m looking forward to the vaccine in January and to a strong, stable “no excuses” government like Abbott promised, the Budget surplus, good economic times and the unicorn ride…

Yep, with the amount of gaslighting the Liberals are doing, Morrison can certainly supply the need for an unlimited supply of gas…

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39 comments

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  1. Vikingduk

    My solution to the great gas crisis and yers can trust me on this, me being a really terrific and sound stable genius, is to equip the population with fart jars whereby we can all play our part in the gasification of straya by farting into said jars for later use in industry. And all them rotten, stinky dole bludgers will be sent to the many cattle stations with fart jars to catch the bovine emissions. Eh, what ya reckon, win win or what? Reduce emissions, sort of, more jobs, more economic activity, never have to wonder who the rotten bastard is that just farted in the lift, jeez mate, a noble prize for this little winner or my name’s not donald, which it isn’t anyway, but ya never know do ya, only the nose knows.

  2. Andrew Smith

    Decades ago, similar policies would have been deemed to be ‘corporatism’ or corporate socialism….. meanwhile individuals and public services are subjected to radical right libertarian economic ideology and survival of the fittest.

    No wonder public narratives are such Orwellian doublespeak and difficult to follow the logic when promoted or sold at the electoral retail level to voters; but intended to aid corporate entities or sectors.

  3. Harry Lime

    After appointing Nifty Nev and his gas fracking coterie,today’s’ announcement’ comes as no surprise,but merely serves to reinforce the utter contempt they, and the Liar have for anything sensible,like, possibly an endless supply of renewable energy.But no, it’s all about the money,the taxpayers’ money, that is,and as long as they enabled by a misinformed/uninformed /apathetic public,turbo driven by the New York Mummy and idiotic ,foaming shock jocks.Morrison obviously doesn’t give a fuck about climate change, and seems only intent on speeding up the ‘End Times”
    We might as well fart into jars,because the Liar is farting into a gale.

  4. He Who Must Not Be Named

    Ok, I’m going to put my intelligence to one side for a moment and just pretend that I think building up gas is a great move. I’m still gobsmacked that it can be presented as a help to businesses struggling at the moment due to Covid-19. The Liberals have had seven years to develop a policy and this latest thought pimple simply says that they expect to have a clear idea about building new things sometime next year. That should be a great help to businesses currently struggling… It’s a bit like their Arts help. We’ll give you money at some future date when you’re up and running again.

  5. wam

    I cannot afford to read you anymore, rossleigh. Your words compared to those of labor make me too sad.
    labor could pick a ‘talk only, no action’ scummo announcement and ask silly sam or karl baby a question as to why scummo announced the policy then has done nothing for????weeks.
    The do somethingset the questions for the morning shows to answer swing the anti toward the inept management of debt.
    Since the loonies voted to abolish the limit – the rabbott wanted to double the limit which would have put pressure on him to keep below a limit but he ‘talked’ milne into giving the canberra clp unlimited cash for the last 7 years and they have made hay whilst the sun shone and will have no trouble backing a twiggy gas or adani coal.
    Me I like split back packs for cattle farts and belches will save the planet and power the milking shed???

  6. ajogrady

    When will Australia get a strong, progresive forward thinking Prime Minister that looks to the future rather then a corrupt, living in the past bought and payed for puppet of the fossil fuel industry always on the lookout for big donations and kickbacks that is a absolute handbrake on Australia reaching its true potential? The L/NP, the Pentacostalot Pinocchio and his corrupt band of theives, shysters and con artists are and have been an impediment and a drain on Australia now and for many many decades. The L/NP are the problem and are definitely not the solution.

  7. RosemaryJ36

    Sadly, Albo thinks no one would oppose gas. He is an enormous disappointment.

  8. Jaki Rogers

    ajogrady – my wish too. Howard has been putting the mockers on Australia ever since he reigned and our Morrison Mafia has shown that the LNP dont even care that their party is branded internationally and openly as stupid corporate crooks and thieves..

    We used to blame Australian apathy by voters but multiculturalism has I think brought so many people that have seen similar corruption in other countries that they believe it is normal. The same with the brutalism being seen from our police on the streets.

    Unfortunately gentleman Albo doesnt appear to have the strength/character to fight on behalf of those who need employment, the ladies seem to be doing a better job at present but when has an Australian male backed a woman. I know we cant go back to l960 with HOPE and PRIDE in the air but SURELY we have ONE DECENT LEGAL EAGLE to help us out of this mire before we sink into total wretchedness. They got rid of Gough overnight, another two years of corruption and ourgreat- grandchildren will still be trying to dig us out of the shit.

  9. Jon Chesterson

    In this our sunburnt country.

    Climate change denial behind the stony Covid-19 wall of stealth and silence – The fake economic recovery that no-one but a few mining corporate executive interests have a say in, selling out and running our democracy. And Morrison holds Australians to ransom with emotional political blackmail, ‘If the coal fire stations aren’t replaced with new ones, we will do gas!’ And if he has to build it on the public purse, he can always sell it off for pin money to one of his corporate billionaire mates to pull the profit out of another bag of public funded capitalist goodies and not a flag in sight on regulation on yet another energy provider or prices. Australians are already paying more than twice the price for their own gas than what is exported to other countries like Japan.

    Oh yes indeed he has plenty of gas to light the fire, blowing our country to kingdom come – Great mix hey, as the nation burns every year with horrific uncontrollable fires visible from space due to climate change and fuckhead Morrison wants to light the fires with gas and burn the house down. Who needs a budget surplus then? Why even bother with an election? Who even needs a country to govern?

    I hear another trip to Hawaii is on the cards when the going gets too hot again and our Prime Minister deserves a break. Can you visualise Morrison and Trump in the same tub?

    Light my fire!

  10. Jon Chesterson

    PS – Gaslighting highlight: Did you hear Trump talking down the Californian fires (again) as simply a matter of forest management?

  11. Terence Mills

    Andrew Liveris was quite convincing speaking to Fran Kelly this morning. He points out that natural gas emits 50 to 60 percent less carbon dioxide (CO2) compared with emissions from a typical new coal plant.

    He points out that we are now the biggest global producer and exporter of gas and that we export 90% of our gas, mainly to Asia where it is onsold cheaper than it is available in Australia. It is also an important transitional source of energy as we move to renewables.

    He poured cold water on the National party’s push for new coalfired power stations until such time as it is conclusively established that carbon capture and storage works and even if the technology can be proven, it will make coal uneconomical as a power source.

    It is worth listening to this man, he knows what he is talking about.

  12. Matters Not

    Terence Mills yes Andrew Liveris was quite convincing speaking to Fran Kelly this morning BUT so was Mike Cannon-Brookes who was on a few minutes earlier. Both had heaps of facts to support their viewpoints – which were in direct opposition to each other. (What does that tell you about the limitations of just citing facts – essential as they may be?)

    Having heard Cannon-Brookes (denigrating Morrison’s solution) before listening to Liveris (expressing support for Morrison’s solution – a direction recommended by Liveris himself) one was again disappointed that that Fran didn’t take the opportunity to really test these various arguments against each other

    Liveris has a tendency to take the listener on a Gish-gallop but good interviewers should be up to the task of stopping that nonsense.

    Clear that Angus Taylor and his fellow scammers want to change the face of the renewable energy sector (ARENA in particular) by funding non-renewables and do so by sucking on the public teat. As citizens, it’s our money (our public purse) held in trust by government and not the private bank of taxpayers such as BHP and other gas companies.

  13. Vikingduk

    “Last year the UN’s panel on biodiversity, called IPBES, warned that one million species face extinction as man made activity has already severely degraded three quarters of land on earth.”

    “We are currently, in a systematic manner, exterminating all non human living beings,” Anne Laurigauderie, IPBES secretary.

    How far down this path must we go before we realise these fucking scum suckers, these fucking traitors, these fucking parasites, these corrupt, morally bankrupt dinosaurs are killing all hope, all life, everyfuckingthing in pursuit of ideology and the great god money, that they deserve complete and utter contempt, that they deserve to be labelled and charged as criminals and sentenced for their crimes against the ecosystem, against all of us animals.

    Wilful ignorance and denial, your time is up, we either fight for the planet or give up. Politics are done, no time for that bullshit now, there is a planet to be saved.

  14. Terence Mills

    MN

    I think it was Cannon-Brookes who noted that Morrison, by stating that the government would build gas pipelines and power plants if the private sector didn’t put up, was virtually saying to the private sector ‘you can sit back and we will do the heavy lifting with public funding’, most of which will ultimately find its way into private pockets.

  15. JudithW

    “Climate nihilism” – yes the climate is changing and the planet is threatening to eliminate us as a species but certain policy makers just don’t care!?

  16. Jack Cade

    JudithW

    From Australia’s perspective, we have a PM who reportedly ‘ takes the knee’ to an invisible friend who (or what). if it exists, controls everything. So what we are doing to the planet is pre-ordained. Therefore, whatever decisions Morrison and his fellow tambourine-men take are obviously the right ones. You can’t believe and interfere in God’s plans, can you?
    Talking of God, I have a fig tree in my back yard, planted by the previous owner of my house. If I get any sap from the tree or it’s leaves on my skin, I get an unbearably itchy patch. It turns out that fig trees can be dangerous or even toxic to a large percentage of humans.
    When Adam sampled the Granny Smith, God was seriously peed off, and made Adam aware that his tackle was exposed. ‘Cover thy tackle, thou sinner’, saith God, who spoke Jacobean English. ‘Thy tackle offendest me. Cover thy tackle with fig leaves, and perchance the plant from which thou pluckest the leaf will make thy tackle unbearably itchy or even drop off. For verily, thou art a Sinner.’
    God is an arsehole.
    If there is a God.

  17. Win Jeavons

    Terence Mills : Liveris only presents half the story. Those marvellous emission reductions fail to include losses at the fracking site , which , it has been suggested, are not inconsiderable. What fossil fuel devotees all ignore is damage to our farming land and precious water . In a changing climate, with rising populations to feed , these are issues that MUST be factored in.

  18. guest

    Terence Mills

    I did not hear Liveris speaking but the figures for gas vs coal look very suspicious. I seem to remember some years ago that gas puts out 70% of the carbon emissions of coal. More recently I read the figure of 50%. And just this week on The Drum it was 30%.

    Gas seems to be getting greener and cleaner by the week!

    Vikingduk

    Just recently the World Wildlife Fund told us the world has lost 2/3 of its wildlife in the past 50 years.

    There has been talk recently about koalas being extinct by 2050. And I have been wondering for some time now about what happened to that logging company near Portland, Victoria, which cut down some acreage of plantation timber and killed some 40 koalas in the process.

    Portland was the first European settlement in Victoria. Seals and whales were killed in the area until numbers diminished mid-C19th.

  19. Matters Not

    As pointed out in Crikey today re fossil fuels and proposed government funding of a new gas fired power station:

    An ‘asbestos led recovery’ would be career-ending; as would a ‘tobacco led recovery’ or a ‘AK-47 led recovery’. But fossil fuels have locked their harm so deeply into our lives that we have become desensitised to this incredible, radical significance of proposing to hurt humans as a pathway to helping them

    Worth remembering that Albo is missing in action, due in part, to Labor’s allowing (and indeed encouraging) gas companies to export national resources at far cheaper prices than available locally. While it happened under Gillard’s watch, the big picture sees the failure more fundamentally, and long-standing.

    In Australia (and elsewhere) there is the view that the public sector should be small and development (where possible) should be handed over to the private sector. Contrast that to (say) Norway.

    In 2009, crude oil, natural gas, and pipeline transport services accounted for almost 50 percent of Norway’s exports value, 22 percent of GDP, and 27 percent of government revenues according to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate. As of 2017, the Government of Norway is the largest shareholder with 67% of the shares, while the rest is public stock. The ownership interest is managed by the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy.

    With government coffers overflowing, public universities in Norway do not charge tuition fees even for international students and that’s up to and including Masters Degrees. In Australia we burden our offspring with debt that is on the increase.

    Albo is out and about talking up our resources (including rare earths) but nowhere does he mention public ownership. We need vision. New thinking. (Actually just a bit of copycatting would do.) Look to the Scandinavian region for openers.

  20. Al

    Jon C, agree with your main points. The “fake economic recovery” is exactly that. Who really believes tourism and international travel is ever going to return to what it was this time last year? It was an industry set up in times of excess disposable income, those days are gone.
    The PM, who does he take advice from on any given issue? Why is he pretending he wants coal-fired power stations to remain open? Is it a charade or plain bad advice he is taking? You’re right, if he has to, he will hit the public purse to build gas generators then gift them to his corporate mates at a later date. They will in turn sell to the public once natural gas is deemed a renewable that can no longer be wasted on leisure pursuits such as driving cars. Europe has flagged the phasing out of petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030. A zero energy footprint for Western nations is the goal.
    Re fires, you might find this interesting. The plan as applies to the USA: ‘Human Access Denied’ map (Wildlands Project), courtesy of Dr M Coffman (Ph.D in forest sciences)
    https://agenda21truth.blogspot.com/2018/04/how-private-property-in-america-is.html

    The elites are hiding been a green façade and want all public resources. If forests burn as an excuse to depopulate an area that is not their problem. Climate change and forest management mean nothing to the elite.

  21. Vikingduk

    Burn it down
    . . . When summer temperatures are soaring
    Burn it down!
    We hear those bushfires come roaring
    Let it burn!
    It’s only science they’re ignoring
    Burn it down! Burn it down!
    Light the gas!
    That’s our economy restoring
    Watch it blaze!
    Emission schemes we’ve been destroying —

    Really, nothing’s left worth saving
    All our leadership is raving,
    Ship has sailed and we’re left waving —
    Burn it down! Burn it down!

    Cathy Wilcox, SMH, 16/9

  22. Henry Rodrigues

    On a different but still associated plane, Guardian reports that Trump says that the corona virus will go away because of “herd mentality” The crass stupidity of this guy never ceases to amaze. I wonder how Kayleigh Inane will spin that.

  23. Jack Cade

    Henry Rodrigues

    It’s Trump’s herd’s mentality that made the US grate again and keeps the covid-19 virus in business. In fact, a cynic might suggest that Big Pharma is creaming it’s collective jeans at the idea that two or even several doses of vaccine – when they have it – might be needed. There are reportedly 5 strains of the virus extant in the USA – nowhere else, apparently, so that’s at least 10 doses per capita. Money money money…
    It’s an ill wind…
    There is a degree of sniping going on here lately. I think I’ll just pull my head in and move on. I don’t mind banter and contrarianism, but personal acrimony is not nice or endearing.
    Bye.

  24. Michael Taylor

    Jack, what’s happened? Email us if you wish.

    I get very disheartened when commenters drive other commenters from this site. It’s far better to root out the cause than lose the victim.

  25. Jack Cade

    Michael Taylor

    Nothing has happened to ME. I just get disheartened when posters take shots at other posters. We all have points of view, and different opinions. I just don’t see the point in rubbishing each other. That’s the sort of crap you expect on posters to the Daily Mail, or The Telegraph, not this site.

  26. Michael Taylor

    Jack, I have a word to the moderators to be more alert. Our biggest problem is that we don’t have someone here 24 hours a day. I have at times considered bringing in “all comments be held in moderation until reviewed by a moderator,” but that inconveniences everybody, not just the serial offenders.

    Best thing is I go with my first suggestion, in that I have a word to our mods.

    It’ll be worth it, as I enjoy seeing you here.

  27. Jack Cade

    Michael

    Fair enough. I’m not usually sensitive to a stoush, but I don’t think sniping at each other works. One of my best friends – now deceased – was a Liberal MP and we agreed about many things, and disagreed about others, but always considered one another’s opinions to be valid. And when I work in my volunteer job on a local radio station (currently in covid-19 lockdown) my most pleasurable sessions are spent with a man who is both a member of the Liberal Party and the Crows. We bicker all the time but it’s wholly goodnatured!!
    Maybe I’m being a bit over the top about this. Don’t worry about it!

  28. Michael Taylor

    All good, Jack. We need to focus on Monday night. ✊

  29. Jan Murray

    Andrew Livens mentioned a book in his talk at the press club today. I made a rough not of the title. The G Zero World, missed the author. Can someone clear this up for me. Please. Is there a repeat of this event. Would like to know. Janet.

  30. corvusboreus

    The fact that I read Jack’s concerns on sniping and wondered if he was referencing my own behaviours forces me to admit that I have been guilty of using my words with intent to cause hurt, sometimes tightly targeted, sometimes blindly sprayed. .
    I also admit to feeling hypocritical indignation when this provokes others to give return fire at the source of those oft-offending words, namely myself.
    I promise to make more conscious effort to stop feeding into such degradation of civil discourse
    Words are essential utilitarian tools which I should not employ abusively as weapons of aggression.

    Jack Cade, I hope you continue contributing , your outlooks and inputs are valued by many (myself included)

  31. Jack Cade

    corvusboreus

    Your writings are both articulate and informative. It’s just that I’ve always believed that you can’t take words back, and in relationships you get them thrown at you years afterward, sometimes when you’ve forgotten the reason for them.
    Your ‘mea culpa’ can only be described as ‘handsome’, and does you credit.

  32. corvusboreus

    . Regarding coalescence of views within seeming dichotomy.
    Putting aside party branding (which is often opaque packaging that disguises policy content) , we can also look beyond the horizontal left/right conservative/progressive spectrum and add a vertical dimension that ranges in spectrum from authoritarian to libertarian.
    Do you believe that human behaviour generally requires regulatory oversight, or do you believe that individual/collective self- discipline is usually sufficient, or do you mostly sit somewhere in between?
    Hitler and Stalin, coming from `right and left’ found common ground regarding the use of authoritarian measures.
    Similarly, the worst agitators within in oppositional street violence are often united, probably unwittingly, in wishing to destabilise state authority in order to advance or entrench their agendas.
    For myself, I understand that alignment and orientation are subjective views within shifting parameters, and recognise that where I perch within these ideological spectra tends to vary according to subject and situation.

    Ps I really do recommend listening to ‘Beau of the fifth column’ on yewchoob as a good way to not waste a few minutes each day.

  33. Jan Murray

    Thanks, Matters Not. Jan.

  34. corvusboreus

    I again recommend watching Beau of the fifth column for some concise insights and occasional practical advice.
    I also recommend that any male readers here over the age of forty should go and get their prostate checked.
    I do so in the full knowledge that none posting here will be arsed to do either.
    I shrug and exit.

  35. DrakeN

    Well, my feathered friend, I haven’t got aound to the fifth columnist just yet, but my prostate checks are up to date. (Inadvertent pun there, Eh? 😉 )

  36. corvusboreus

    DrakeN,
    Kudos to you for having the sense to get an inspection of the too often neglected nether bits.
    If people subjected their opinions and arses to more frequent critical scrutiny, shit would get a hell of a lot healthier.
    Beau is worth a look, especially in terms of rational analysis of current US political events and their implications
    Sometimes it pays to mute the media pundits and listen to a clear head with their boots on the ground.

  37. Mark Shields

    ajogradySeptember 15, 2020 at 11:18 pm
    “When will Australia get a strong, progresive forward thinking Prime Minister…?”

    Good question ajogrady, I often ask myself where it all went wrong? Back in the 60’s, 70’s and even the 80’s; intelligence, rationalism and common sense could not be argued with and the promise of exponential growth of human scientific intelligence seemed unlimited and optimistically welcomed.

    But what we forgot was that since the end of WW2, those simple minded nazist bigots, low IQ – nationalistic idiots and religious zealots, had been squirrelled away in shame from worldwide beratement and dared not show their faces.

    But they have not disappeared! Some say the tipping point of resurgent fascist/conservatism came with Thatcher and Reagan and I witnessed all that in the western world, knowing that medieval cultures of traditionalist austerity still existed in the eastern world.

    What really made it apparent to me, that reactionary religious ignorance (is bliss) was on the rise, was when Sarah Palin emerged out of the shadows: Attractive, smart, bespectalled academic appearance, maternal and family oriented; I could see a far-right religious uprising in the making.

    And from there, all those uneducated westerners that our Social Democratic/Capitalist education policies have failed, have been recruited by the burgeoning hatred, religious-right leaders (often in the name of Welfare) have of Un-Ordered free reign Civilisation.

    There are still members of society (eg. Trump, Morrisson, Bolsinaro, Duterte, Putin, Ping, Johnson etc.) who might well actually believe that adherence to religion and its’ values is the only way for humanity to survive.

    I’ve had Leftist friends/colleagues joke about being Benevolent Dictators and I have always held serious doubts about their honest intentions but one thing I am indisputably in agreement with, is that: Power Corrupts Absolutely! (And for those Marxist idiots still holding on to New Communist Principles, Karl Marx would be embarrassed by your ignorant devotion.)

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