Liberal Senator Anne Ruston suggests Chris Bowen should 'have been fired years ago' in scathing takedown of Energy Minister
Following its emphatic victory in the May federal election, Labor has doubled down on its controversial renewables-led push to achieve net zero emissions.
Speaking at the National Press Club on Tuesday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese suggested his party's victory demonstrated a clear mandate for the plan, despite ongoing community concerns surrounding several high profile projects.
Mr Bowen, too, has doubled down on the push, insisting renewables remain the "cleanest and cheapest" way to power the national grid.
However, Senator Ruston was quick to push back against the claims, accusing both men of "completely destroying the very thing that underpins our economy".
"The Prime Minister just seems to be completely blind to any other solution, whatever that might be, so that Australians can have a reliable and affordable power," she told Sky News following Mr Albanese's address.
"All he seems to caring about is his pursuit of this ideological sort of renewable energy future that he's proving not to be deliverable.
"The government constantly is providing subsidies and handouts and the like of taxpayers' money to fix up a problem that is of their own making.
"Our power bills were supposed to have gone down by this year. Clearly, the complete opposite's happened with increases of over $1,000."
Senator Ruston then singled out Mr Bowen for particular criticism, as she questioned why Labor continued to stand by what she described as a "failed policy pursuit".
"If Chris Bowen was an executive in any sensible company around Australia he would have been fired years ago and yet he still stays in this job completely destroying the very thing that underpins our economy and that's affordable and reliable energy," she said.
The Senator's takedown of the government's energy plans comes as the Coalition continues to struggle internally over its own stance on net zero.
Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce and Senator Matt Canavan have been amongst a handful of high-profile members pushing for the opposition to scrap their commitment to the emissions reduction target.
However, others within the Liberal Party have warned the Coalition risks losing even more support in urban areas if it abandons the pledge, with Labor and Teal independents both positioning themselves as strong on the environment.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has said the Coalition would review its stance on the issue and Senator Ruston was similarly coy when she addressed the party's stance.
"We're taking a very considered approach to making sure that the Coalition's energy policy going to the next election is one that will deliver reliable and affordable power, at the same time as making sure emissions reduction is part of the mix," she said.
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