The Energy Utilities
In Australia, on the political front, we have very little in the way of progressive or Leftist policy options. It is rather the choice of how far Right. Traditionally centrist positions have been favoured by most voters, usually Centre Right. The LNP Coalition has, over recent years, moved further Right in thrall to populist demagogues like Donald Trump. Neoliberalism via privatization has seen many previously publicly owned assets move into private hands. The energy utilities are an illustrative example of this, where numerous private companies operate within this sector, either generating, wholesaling or retailing energy. Despite promises to the contrary prices for energy have not come down. Those greater efficiencies have not materialised.
Privatized Energy Utilities No Cheaper
The Right wing media conglomerate News Corp, the Murdoch family concern, spins fictions about renewables being the cause of higher energy prices in Australia. However, if you take the time to read the available reports about the costs of power in Australia, you will see that it is coal and gas, which are the expensive culprits within the grid. Despite this and in the face of the incontrovertible evidence those on the Right continue to ideologically blame renewables for the high costs of energy in Australia. Anyone would think that they have a horse in this race. They do, of course, their fossil fuel advertisers and their preferred political partners in the power game. If you do not investigate your information sources, as to their own vested interests, you are a fool being led around by your own lack of insight.
- (https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/four-reasons-why-your-power-prices-are-sky-high-and-rising/)
“Australia is adding renewable power, like solar and wind at record rates – but for now, the majority of our electricity still comes from expensive and polluting coal and gas. These days, electricity made from fossil fuels is far more expensive than renewable power. In 2025, the average price of electricity from fossil fuels is $123 per megawatt hour (MWh), almost twice the average price of electricity from renewables ($64 per MWh). Already, more than 40% of our power is from renewable sources, and adding more will avoid even larger power price hikes.”
Energy Costs Downunder & The Transition
What you will discover is that those on the Right, are so empowered by the lying example of Trump that they are happy to spread disinformation that bears little relation to the actual facts. Their stratagem is to keep repeating things, lies in this instance, so that folk will think them truth. Most voters do not drill down into stuff to seek out the truth themselves, they blithely accept what’s dished up to them by talking heads. The energy utilities are in the hands of private corporations and they don’t serve the hopes and desires of the Australian people. In the Australian example, if existing fossil fuels were the answer to our energy cost problems why did the Coalition promote the hugely expensive shift to nuclear power at the last election? Inconsistencies provide sunlight in which to see the actual facts.
Right Wing Idealogues Lying About Energy Costs
The awful Tony Abbott and Sky News Australia spin lies to their viewing audience. Right wing idealogues are dangerous to the future of a democratic Australia. We have seen the slippery slope in America, where Trump has armed troops in their cities. Hitleresque moves to militarize a society, which ends badly for most folk in the end. You might be OK about certain people being ostracised and marginalised but history tells us that you will get your turn in time. The approved band of acceptable behaviour invariably shrinks over time. More and more people get locked up and put into camps. Right wing extremists can never help themselves, ultimately, with jackboots on the ground and masked ICE agents beating up on brown skinned people.
Barnaby Joins The Racists
Barnaby Joyce has decamped to One Nation, because the Anglo-settler male dominated ethos has decimated the electability of the major Right wing parties. Joyce can now be at home among the racists in Pauline’s party. Where backward thinking reckons that White Australia can flourish in the bush and regional areas. The world is moving on and Australia, the real Australia where all the people live, has moved on from such backward thinking. The National party has a choice, whether to remain relevant or not. Along with the Libs, they tried the move to the far Right and it has condemned them to political irrelevance. These parties that ignored women for so long and thought themselves big swinging dicks are waking up to the real state of play politically downunder. Women are a force and they don’t like toxic masculinity.
The Political Influence Of The Energy Multinationals
The energy utilities are privatized money grubbers, hell bent on maximising profits at the expense of Australian households and businesses. Governments on both sides have let the people down. Their party campaign managers are too willing to take the large political donations and do their bidding. The Big Gas companies treat us all as fools in the manner of their not paying tax over a decade or more. Australian politicians do not represent our interests when it comes to these multinational corporations. Coal and gas concerns have been running the show downunder for too long. We need new blood in the political ranks not beholden to these vested interests. It is time for a new broom.
Politics Of Grievance
“Politicians on the Right have no long term solutions for anything. Short termism infects everything they do and say. Their intentions are all about getting elected via the politics of grievance. Once in power they achieve little and go about milking the system for their own benefit. Donald Trump is a clear example of this, campaigning on high prices and the cost of living under Joe Biden. The US economy is now in far worse shape since he returned to the White House. More than a million jobs have been lost and stagflation is on the horizon for Americans. Trump now has the lowest approval rate in the polls in US history. If you ask many of his voters if they are happy with his handling of the economy their answer would be in the negative.”
- (https://wordsforweb.com.au/the-politics-of-grievance/)
Robert Sudha Hamilton is the author of What Price Life?; America Matters: Pre-apocalyptic Posts & Essays in the Shadow of Trump; and other titles. NOW AVAILABLE AT APPLE BOOKS & GOOGLE PLAY BOOKS. Google Play Books AUDIOBOOK
©WordsForWeb
