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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese accused Opposition Leader Susan Ley of effectively announcing Australia's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, responding to her statement that the Coalition does not believe in setting emissions reduction targets.
Speaking at a Melbourne household installing solar batteries, Albanese characterized Ley's rejection of target-setting as abandoning international climate commitments established by previous Coalition governments.
"We had essentially the announcement of withdrawal from Paris, because it is Tony Abbott who signed up to the Paris Agreement that requires NDCs, requires nation states to put forward targets every five years, which they will seek to achieve to limit climate change," Albanese said.
The Prime Minister's comments followed Ley's press conference where she declared the Coalition "don't believe in setting targets at all from opposition or from government," criticizing the government's 62% to 70% emissions reduction target by 2035 as lacking cost transparency and credibility.
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Coalition Policy Consistency Questioned
Albanese highlighted previous Coalition commitments to climate targets, noting that Tony Abbott signed the Paris Agreement, Malcolm Turnbull continued the commitment, and Scott Morrison's government established net zero by 2050 targets.
"Today's bizarre statements by the leader of the Liberal Party, where she walked away from setting any targets as are required by the Paris Agreement, says it all about how their focus is simply on their internals," he said.
The Prime Minister contrasted his government's approach with Opposition internal divisions, arguing Labor focuses on Australian jobs and future generations while the Liberal Party fights among themselves.
"The Liberal Party are too busy fighting each other, too busy looking over their shoulders, too busy arguing with each other to argue for the interests of Australians," Albanese said.
Household Battery Program Success
The Prime Minister highlighted the government's battery rebate program, citing 60,000 households installing batteries since July 1, with more than 1,000 installations occurring each workday.
"It's extraordinary that more than 1,000 batteries are being installed in houses right around Australia each and every workday," Albanese said, connecting household energy choices to broader economic principles.
He provided specific examples of household savings, citing one family whose monthly electricity bill dropped from $304.85 to $59.21 after battery installation, despite powering two vehicles including a hybrid and fully electric car.
"A massive saving, including the powering up of two motor vehicles for this family," Albanese said, demonstrating the economic benefits of renewable energy adoption.
Private Sector Investment Expectations
The Prime Minister outlined expectations for substantial private sector investment to achieve the 2035 climate targets, referencing Business Council of Australia estimates.
"The BCA estimate that in order to achieve that target, we'll see between $400 and $500 billion of private sector investment. This will be led by the private sector," he said.
Albanese described government investment as facilitating private sector action, comparing federal battery rebates to broader economic principles where upfront costs lead to long-term savings.
"The job of the government is to facilitate that investment, just like here, the battery, 30%, a rebate from the Commonwealth, but the investment being made by the household in order to benefit them," he said.
Energy Policy Consistency Defense
The Prime Minister defended government energy policy consistency, contrasting Labor's approach with previous Coalition performance on power station closures and policy announcements.
"24 out of 28 coal-fired power stations announced their closure under the former government. 24 out of 28. And during that time, they had 23 different energy policies announced and didn't land one," Albanese said.
He emphasized business demand for policy certainty, arguing consistent government direction enables private sector investment decisions.
"What business are calling for is certainty. Business needs certainty in order to invest, which is why business has overwhelmingly welcomed the policy announcement that we made yesterday," he said.
Renewable Energy Cost Arguments
When pressed about electricity price guarantees, Albanese repeatedly referenced independent modeling while emphasizing renewable energy cost advantages.
"I can guarantee that the cheapest form of new energy is renewables. The cheapest form of new energy is renewables," he said, noting the modeling came from energy market operators rather than government sources.
The Prime Minister argued market forces drive the transition to renewable energy, explaining why coal-fired power stations announced closures despite Coalition rhetoric supporting fossil fuels.
"The truth is that the investment that we have in our plan, which is for renewables, backed by gas, backed by storage, is the way forward for Australia," Albanese said.
Electric Vehicle Adoption
Addressing questions about electric vehicle targets, Albanese emphasized consumer choice over government mandates while noting increasing market availability.
"We don't have a target. We want that to be left to consumers to make their choices. But we know that consumers are voting with their wallets and they are investing in electric vehicles," he said.
The Prime Minister cited fuel efficiency standards implementation as facilitating consumer choice, noting Australia previously joined only Russia in lacking such standards.
"Previously, it was only Australia and Russia were the only countries in the world that didn't have any fuel standards. We fixed that," he said.
Government Investment Framework
Albanese detailed government investment commitments, including yesterday's additional $8.3 billion announcement bringing total investment to $75 billion.
The funding includes $5 billion through the National Reconstruction Fund designed to facilitate private sector industrial transition across energy, industry and transport sectors.
"What that is, is a fund to facilitate private sector investment. That is why we are putting that in place, to help industry to transition," he said.
Political Opposition Response
The Prime Minister dismissed suggestions about Opposition policy consistency, arguing their positions change frequently without considered development.
"If the opposition aren't clear from minute to minute, let alone in any considered way. You have in Australia an orderly government that receives proper advice, that acts on science, and on the other hand, you have an opposition that changes its policies from hour to hour, let alone day to day," he said.
International Trade Context
When asked about Victorian Premier's China visit, Albanese defended engagement with Australia's major trading partner as supporting domestic employment.
"Well, it's our major trading partner. Probably a good idea that we talk to our major trading partner because it's about Australian jobs," he said.
The Prime Minister's comments underscore escalating political divisions over climate policy as both major parties position themselves ahead of future electoral contests while managing competing domestic and international pressures.
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