This morning, at the Liberal National Party State Convention, we made an important decision to abandon Net Zero target policies.
This decision wasn’t made lightly. It was made because across regional Australia, and particularly in my electorate of Capricornia, the consequences of Labor’s reckless race to renewables are already being felt.
I have seen the damage firsthand. The tight-knit community of Eungella and the Pioneer Valley was torn apart by the former State Labor Government’s ill-conceived Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro pipe dream. People’s lives were disrupted, uncertainty hung over entire communities and all for a project that was never about delivering practical, affordable power, it was about chasing headlines and ideology.
Our farmers shouldn’t have to stand by while multinational renewable conglomerates carve up prime agricultural land to build massive wind and solar factories. And regional Australians must not be silenced or sidelined when decisions are being made about their communities, their livelihoods and their future.
Today’s vote was a vote for common sense. It was a vote for the Australians who get up before sunrise to put food on the table, to run a business, or to work in industries that drive our economy. It was a vote to protect regional communities who too often bear the brunt of decisions made in Brisbane and Canberra without a thought for the people on the ground.
The LNP has shown today that we are listening. We are driven by your voice, not by the inner-city ideologues who are determined to force their agenda on the rest of the country. While Labor and the Greens remain obsessed with chasing unrealistic targets, the LNP will fight for practical solutions, solutions that keep the lights on, keep costs down and keep our industries strong.
This is what the LNP stands for. We will always stand shoulder to shoulder with the workers, families, farmers and small businesses who make this country what it is. We will continue to be the voice of regional Australia and we will never stop fighting for you.
