Kate Chaney has conditionally backed the ongoing use of gas in the path to net zero while panning the business case for Woodside's Scarborough project as overly optimistic.
Kate Chaney has offered conditional support to gas remaining a part of Australia's energy mix in the path to net zero while deriding the business case for Woodside's Scarborough project as overly optimistic.
Addressing a Business News Politics & Policy briefing this morning, Ms Chaney, who wrested the blue ribbon seat of Curtin from the Liberal Party at the May federal election, told the audience she had supported the federal government's emissions reduction legislation on pragmatic grounds.
Her comments echoed those of other 'teal' independents elected on platforms highlighting climate action, including Senator David Pocock, who at the time called Labor's target insufficient while urging crossbenchers to back the legislation.
While she and other independents did successfully pass some minor amendments to the relevant Act, as passed it only stipulated a 43 per cent reduction in net emissions by 2030.
Addressing her support for the legislation this morning, Ms Chaney conceded she would've preferred the target have been set higher than that, while conceding she and other crossbenchers were limited in what they could achieve.
"I'd like to see a higher target but this is the world we live in," she said.
"You can spend a lot of time whinging about something that's not happening or you can take the ground where you can see it and build on it.
"I have a very optimistic approach and collaborative approach.
"I feel like I'm very willing to hold the government to account, and I'll continue using my question time questions to ask, 'How can further fossil fuel expansion be consistent with a 43 per cent target? Who's actually going to bear the deeper cuts if we allow that to occur?'"
"I'll be asking those questions."
Those comments come amid a broader debate over the role of gas in Australia's energy mix, with Greens leader Adam Bandt repeatedly calling the federal government's support for gas projects inconsistent with its emissions reductions targets.
Some observers, such as Western Australia's chief scientist Peter Klinken, have said gas will continue to play a role in the country's path to net zero emissions, with Ms Chaney this morning conceding most forecasting she had cited did not totally rule out the use of gas by 2050.
Still, she was skeptical Woodside Energy's Scarborough LNG project would be crucial to Australia's energy transition, with Woodside listing the project as playing a "key role in helping neighbouring Asian countries to take action on emissions reduction".
Ms Chaney rejected that language when read aloud to her this morning.
"There will be a role for gas," she said.
"What we're not sure about is how much, for how long, and whose gas.
"I think the Scarborough business case is based on fairly optimistic assumptions about gas prices, about demand from Asia, and about competing gas supply.
"Qatar will be bringing a whole lot of gas on in 2026, about the same time as Woodside. We'll probably have a gas glut at that point.
"It is a part of the transition, but saying that some gas will remain in the energy mix is very different to saying we should expand gas and explore new sites."
Elsewhere, Ms Chaney offered her support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart, as well as briefly arguing in favour of further conversations about tax reform.
She also acknowledged feeling relieved about not having to play kingmaker in a hung parliament after Labor won enough seats to form a majority government.
