Angus Taylor pledges to repeal swathe of climate policies, saying ‘Australia has done its bit’

Angus Taylor has vowed to repeal a raft of emissions reduction and renewable energy policies, including several measures supported by or introduced under past Coalition governments, within a month of being elected prime minister, prompting accusations he would “let climate change rip”.

On Wednesday, Taylor’s energy spokesperson, Dan Tehan, announced a new bill would be introduced to parliament within 30 days after a Coalition win at the next federal election to ensure affordable, reliable and secure energy to Australians.

The bill, which contains a package of eight previously announced opposition policies, would remove safeguard mechanism and nuclear prohibitions, both introduced by previous Coalition governments.

It would also:

• Scrap vehicle emissions standards.

• Remove the legislated net zero by 2050 target.

• Revoke four of six offshore wind energy zones due for completion by the late 2030s: the Hunter, Illawarra, Southern Ocean and Bunbury regions.

• Introduce a renewable energy code of conduct for developers.

• Require energy funding provided to states and territories prioritises energy affordability and reliability.

• Change the Australian Energy Regulator’s main focus to affordability and reliability.

“Australia has done its bit,” Taylor said at a press conference when asked why it wanted to reverse laws driving down emissions.

“What we will continue to see is technologies emerging with lower emissions that Australians want to choose. That is fine, and that is great.”

The energy minister, Chris Bowen, said the plan would take a “chainsaw to the economy and household budgets” and “make Australia poorer, weaker and less secure from global shocks”.

“They want to take choice away from Australians – remove your ability to take control of your energy bills with a cheaper home battery, and pick a cheaper to run car,” he said.

Bowen said the Coalition’s plan to “stop renewables and household batteries” and extend the life of existing coal power stations would mean households would be “left to pick up the bill of global shocks”.

The energy policy reversal was similarly criticised by Kooyong MP, Monique Ryan, and acting Greens leader, Mehreen Faruqi, for taking the country backwards.

“The Coalition’s plan is dumb, dangerous, and desperate climate denial which would make energy more expensive and unreliable,” Dr Ryan said.

Faruqi also took aim at Labor after its resources minister, Madeleine King, marked the opening of the Beetaloo basin with smiles.

“Australians deserve a safe climate future, but we won’t see that while the Labor government is capitulating to fossil fuels and the Coalition’s energy policy is written to prop up corporate profits,” she said.

Environment groups have condemned the Coalition’s announcement, with the Australian Conservation Foundation’s head of political advocacy, Gavan McFadzean, saying Australians deserved better.

“You can’t be anti-renewables and pro-energy reliability, because renewables with storage is the most reliable and affordable form of energy, while nuclear is the most expensive and would need to be publicly funded,” McFadzean said.

“To commit to slow the renewables transition is a breathtaking act of economic self-harm that would increase climate pollution and abandon jobs and investment in the future low carbon economy.”

The chief executive of the Climate Council, Amanda McKenzie, described the energy announcement as “pure ideology” underpinned by years of climate denial.

“The Coalition’s plan is to let climate change rip. It’s deadly negligence that would leave Australians facing more fires, floods and heatwaves,” she said.

“The Coalition wants to force Australians back into the most polluting cars in the world and increase our dependence on foreign oil.”

Farmers for Climate Action, a group representing more than 8,000 farmers across Australia, said they were “extremely disappointed”.

Harden sheep and crop farmer and FCA spokesperson Peter Holding, said giving up on pollution reduction was crazy.

“We are extremely disappointed in the Coalition today. You can’t say you’re looking after farmers while you axe pollution reduction policies, when we know more pollution means more fires and droughts, more climate change, and higher insurance costs,” he said.