Monash Forum To Ramp Up Fight For Coal Power

Image: Pavlofox | Note: The hand may or may not belong to Craig Kelly.

Members of the Monash Forum are readying for a battle for hearts, minds and funds as the direction of Australia’s energy future is determined.

In case you haven’t heard of this club, the recently-formed Monash Forum is a ginger group comprised of Liberal/National party MPs that are pushing for more coal-fired power generation in Australia. Some Australians were aghast the group was named after Sir John Monash and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg was among those suggesting a name change, as were descendants of Sir John.

Among the more high-profile card-carrying Monash Forum members are (of course) Craig Kelly and Tony Abbott. Another is Member for Flynn, Ken O’Dowd.

According to the South Burnett Times, Mr. O’Dowd doesn’t appear to be a huge fan of wind energy and solar power.

“Risking jobs for paddocks of solar power is short-sighted as industry and households will be held hostage when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow,” he is quoted as saying.

It appears Mr. O’Dowd thinks Australia’s salvation lies in coal – after all, it’s energy you can clutch.

Australians have been promised a flurry of advertisements, flyers and other forms of media in the time ahead that will seek to address coal’s image problem; some of which lies in the simple fact that coal kills.

When reading about this upcoming campaign, The Onion’s take on the coal vs. renewables debate some years ago came to mind.

Craig Kelly Beating The Drums Of War

Meanwhile, across the tubes of the interwebs, Mr. O’Dowd’s Monash Forum compadre Craig Kelly looks about ready to blow a fuse.

Last week we reported he had been on the anti-renewables, pro-coal warpath (again) and he’s continued in the days since. Perhaps buoyed and further emboldened (not that he could ever be accused of shyness) by the stamp of approval from another ex-Prime Minister, John Howard, Mr. Kelly has been quite busy on his Facebook page. His activities have included:

• stating Australians (per capita) have the most onerous emissions reductions task in the world under the Paris Climate Control Accord.
• taking further swipes at AGL over its plans for Liddell Power Station.
• stating electric cars are only suitable as golf carts in Australia and squeezing in references to “snake oil salesman and green rent-seekers”.
• saying Matt Howell, CEO of Tomago Aluminium, should be named Australian of the Year for his comments about “Australia’s energy crisis” and the ongoing need for conventional thermal baseload generation (coal). Some previous Australians of the Year may be feeling their title has just been devalued.
• flagging that the knowledge economy needs low cost energy (thankfully renewables can help with that).

The latest push by the Monash Forum is a result of recent  Lack of Reserve (LOR) conditions in New South Wales, primarily due to coal generators failing.

Whatever the Monash Forum members have planned for the weeks ahead, it will be anything but boring.