Federal Labor takes heart from Queensland election result but gas still a thorn in its side | Labor party

Federal Labor has let out a sigh of relief after the Queensland state election win, admitting it can take “a lot of heart” from the victory – but its position on gas continues to cause ructions.The party has looked at the Palaszczuk government’s third electoral win – which included strong primary vote results in central and north Queensland regions that abandoned Labor at the last federal election – as the beginning of its recovery in the state.But it is yet to come to a concrete position on Australia’s gas future, with unions and pro-resources MPs urging the party to get behind the government’s much mooted “gas-led recovery”, despite the challenges it poses to emissions reductions.Labor is yet to land on a short-term emissions target. Anthony Albanese said the party would wait to see the outcome of the Glasgow climate talks, which will be held in November next year – potentially just months out from the next Australian election.It has left the opposition exposed on the gas issue with Brisbane MP Terri Butler telling the ABC it had a role to play, but so did Australia becoming a renewable energy “superpower”.“We would like to see gas form an important part of the transition to Australia becoming a renewable energy superpower,” she said.“That’s what’s important here – getting to a position where we make sure we are standing up for jobs, standing up for renewables, and making sure we put downward pressure on power prices for consumers and business. “The government has done the opposite and that is a significant problem.”Union officials met Labor MPs last week to pass on the message that gas would be a necessary part of Australia’s energy and market transition. It is part of an ongoing discussion within the party about how to move forward on energy after the last federal election loss, where central and northern Queensland voters turned away from Labor in droves.Labor supports Australia aiming for a net zero target by 2050, but has been silent on a 2030 target. Albanese has previously committed Labor to setting a new medium-term emissions reduction target consistent with scientific advice before the next federal election.The government, under prime minister Scott Morrison, plans on using Kyoto carry-over credits to meet its 2030 obligations, a move which has been described as an “accounting trick” by Labor’s energy spokesman, Mark Butler. So far it has resisted signing up to the 2050 net zero emissions target despite lobbying from allies such as the UK.Japan and South Korea recently committed to the 2050 target, leaving Australia in an increasingly outlier position. Morrison has said he will not be pushed into allowing other nations to dictate Australia’s policy.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/nov/01/federal-labor-takes-heart-from-queensland-election-result-but-gas-still-a-thorn-in-its-side