"They said the same thing with the gas industry and now it is...

"They said the same thing with the gas industry and now it is legislated that they can't sell their gas to their overseas customers and leave domestic gas market short."

Incidentally, the irony would not be lost on most reasonably-minded energy market observers that both the sanctioned increase in gas production as well as the calls for Liddell to remain open, are 180 degree reversals of the pro-environment position adopted by previous governments, both state and federal, as well as an untold number of special interest groups, consultants and NGOs.

It is a clear case of failing to think through the issues.

Going green is necessary, but it can only be done within the constraints of existing energy demand relative to current energy supply mix.

It strikes me that energy policy - something that has impacts spanning many years, decades even - is being developed with a distinct lacking in commensurate long-term vision.

Instead, energy policy formulators in Australia [*] seem to be merely making it up on a reactionary basis in response to whatever the latest "crisis" happens to be.


[*] And that applies to all shapes and hues of government in Australia over the past 10 years.