Interview with Laura Jayes, AM Agenda

24 July 2024

LAURA JAYES: They're underperforming, especially this winter season. The gas is being used to fill the gaps and its demand for electricity grows. Generally now it's a shadow finance minister Jane Hume Jane, thanks so much for your time. This is a report from AEMO. It says that essentially the wind isn't blowing enough and none of these wind farms are operating at capacity. How does this feed into your thinking about what your energy policy will be in the lead up to the next election?

JANE HUME: Laura, I think it speaks for itself. We've been saying for many years now that if the wind isn't blowing and the sun isn't shining, that a renewables only approach that all eggs in one basket approach simply isn't adequate to support our National Grid. That's why we saw spikes in energy prices up to 110% In some states, and I think in Tasmania and 45% in my home state of Victoria, because of this moment in time that was particularly cold, the wind wasn't blowing, the sun wasn't shining. And there were failures in the backup operations of coal as well. What we need is an all energies and all technologies mix, to ensure that we have the baseload power to support the renewables in the future. Renewables are going to play a very important role in our energy grid. Of course they will, but they can't be the only source of energy which of course is Labour's approach our approach is to have that old technology approach all of the above that we have a combination of renewables and gas, in the medium term, in particular, to support that baseload power is called transitions out of the system. We then move also to zero emissions nuclear technology, because that really is the only way to consistently put enough supply into the energy grid and bring prices down in the medium and the long term.

LAURA JAYES: Look, Labor does talk about renewables. But I think it's a little bit disingenuous to say that they have an all renewables approach. They don't want to talk about what the last 10% of firming will be, but it's not quite right to say it would just be solar and wind up under Labor is it?

JANE HUME: Well, apparently, they have launched their future gas strategy and yet we've seen no commitment to, to actually implementing that future gas strategy. At the same time, they have provided subsidies for green hydrogen, which we now know, the biggest proponent of green hydrogen, Twiggy Forrest has said is going to be unviable and is pulling out of that. So really what is left with other than a 100% renewable energy approach? Not only do they work, are they supporting this 100% renewable energy approach all eggs in one basket, but we know that in order to implement even some of that, we're going to have to have a transmission lines that essentially are going to be about 28,000 kilometers. That's the equivalent of going twice around the circumference of Australia. That's an environmental issue in itself. Not only is it costly, but its cost in terms of dollar value, but its cost to the environment as well. This is not a viable approach to get to net zero by 2050. We have to consider all options and put all options on the table.

LAURA JAYES: What about green energy, because in the last couple of weeks you're right, Twiggy Forrest says it's not going to be viable. 700 jobs lost in that sector under his umbrella in the first place. Green hydrogen is something that the former Coalition government did invest in as well. Where does this leave you? Is it will you not subsidise it at all? Does it still be putting some taxpayer dollars towards if it does become economically viable?

JANE HUME: I think relying on green hydrogen is a mistake. But investing in potential new technologies, zero emissions of low emissions technologies is fundamentally important. That's why the Coalition has a policy to invest in zero emissions nuclear energy, because it is a tried and tested technology that is working overseas to bring emissions down and place and ensure reliability as a grid. At the same time, we're one of only 20 of the top 20 developed nations that isn't investing in nuclear energy, particularly small modular reactors or new generation reactors. This is the only viable way to get to net zero by 2050 and ensure the reliability of the grid and bring prices down over time. I think that the Labor Government with investment in green hydrogen that has clearly gone south and its reliance in renewables and it's a renewables only approach is realising now that it's running out of options and it's running out of excuses.

LAURA JAYES: Alright, just finally on the CFMEU, the Victorian Opposition wants to see government contractors essentially government infrastructure jobs have police checks, so there can be no bikie links. Is that something you'd back in?

JANE HUME: Well you can see why the Victorian Opposition is so furious about the revelations that we've seen about the CFMEU in the last couple of weeks. This has been a secret that's been hiding in plain sight for years. There is no doubt that the premier, whether as Premier or as infrastructure minister was aware of corruption on Union on government, taxpayer funded construction sites-

LAURA JAYES: So you think the now Premier knew about corruption and turned a blind eye?

JANE HUME: Well, I think that there's been evidence that suggested that that people have written to her that it's spoken to her. I cannot imagine how it would be possible as infrastructure minister to not know that this was going on. This does seem to be and I'm quoting other people here, other journalists have said that this has been willful ignorance or willful incuriosity on behalf of Labor ministers that were so close that was so close to the action so close to the deals that were being done to not know that there was corruption going on. We've said that we believe at a federal level, that we should be reinstating the ABCC, that there should be a full investigation of corruption on worksites. And quite frankly, if the Prime Minister or the Industrial Relations Minister did know, was written to, about potential corruption on work sites, this is something that they should have referred to the National Anti-Corruption Commission. They have an obligation to do so, a mandatory reporting obligation, if there is Commonwealth construction sites, construction sites using Commonwealth funds, that where this sort of behavior is being alleged, that's their obligation to do so. The Prime Minister's response here has been so weak and that's because we know that he will always put Union's interests ahead of those of the Australian public.

LAURA JAYES: Just finally, are you expecting a reshuffle this weekend?

JANE HUME: Well, it's certainly not a Coalition reshuffle. We're doing you know, we're very comfortable with the team that we have. But I would not be at all surprised-

LAURA JAYES: But if the PM changes his team would you change your team as well?

JANE HUME: I think that the Coalition's team is working very well and very hard towards the next election which could be very soon indeed. And we will be very prepared, we will be prepared for whenever it is.

LAURA JAYES: Okay, Jane Hume. Good to see you.