How the Left has turned on Albo: The prime minister infuriates environmentalists after meeting with Murdoch media executives and allowing oil and gas extraction.
Anthony Albanese faces fury and condemnation from the political Left.
It follows last week’s opening of Australian waters to oil and gas exploration.
After campaigning for climate action, Mr. Albanese has enraged activists.
After opening vast swaths of Australian waters to gas and oil development and meeting with Murdoch media executives, Anthony Albanese’s left flank is angry and critical.
Last Wednesday, Mr. Albanese released 47,000 square kilometers for fossil fuel drilling, despite having campaigned for action on climate change and just days after the House of Representatives passed a 43% emissions reduction objective.
The release, according to Resources Minister Madeleine King, a member of Labor’s right party, is vital to alleviate future domestic gas shortages.
Anthony Albanese (shown with partner Jodie Haydon) is confronted with hostility from his left flank.
As a result of sanctions imposed on Russian energy exports as a result of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, global gas prices have increased significantly this year.
Mr. Albanese, who is riding strong in the polls and will mark 100 days in office on Monday, supported the decision by stating that fossil fuels will be essential for decades to come and jokingly stating to media, “you arrived here by automobile” to illustrate his argument.
The Greens, teal independents, and even some of his own fans on social media criticized the decision, with some describing his justification for it as ‘insulting.’
Sean Doherty, a writer and environmental activist who supported Mr. Albanese during the election campaign, published a blistering Instagram post on Sunday condemning the decision and stating that Mr. Albanese had a “sh*t week.”
Extremely disheartened that the climate conflicts are not yet done. This week, Obama gave the gas gronks 46,000 square kilometers of new offshore exploration land to play with, notwithstanding his election campaign rhetoric, he said.
Protesters in Brisbane march to demand action on climate warming.
Sean Doherty, a writer and environmental activist who supported Mr. Albanese during his election campaign, published a scathing Instagram post (above)
Doherty accused Mr. Albanese of employing the rhetoric of former energy minister Angus Taylor by asking journalists if they traveled by automobile.
But it wasn’t just them carrying out the orders of their gas lords… ‘At the time, Albo was using Angus Taylor gaslight talking points,’ he wrote.
“When a journalist questioned him about the land release, he asked him whether he had driven to the news conference in a car.”
Rachel Withers, a journalist and environmental activist, criticized Mr. Albanese for attempting to ‘pretend that anyone proposing weaning our society off fossil fuels is demanding that we go cold turkey’ She added that this type of argument was more ‘insulting’ coming from ‘the new Labor PM, Ender of the Climate Wars’
Doherty also criticized Mr. Albanese for his Wednesday meeting in Sydney with News Corp co-chairman Lachlan Murdoch and the company’s editors, alongside Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
Mr. Albanese was criticized on social media for the gas drilling decision (above).
Since Kevin Rudd, the Murdoch press has not supported Labor in an election and has taken a notoriously negative position towards climate change action.
He snuck up to Holt Street for a secret rendezvous with the Murdochs to end the week. What could that possibly mean? Doherty wrote, “I would like to believe that this was all part of a long game, but it appears that the fossil fuel business is playing a longer game than he is.”
The release of Commonwealth offshore waters includes ten locations in the Bonaparte, Browse, Carnarvon, and Gippsland basins off the Northern Territory, Western Australia, Victoria, and Ashmore and Cartier Islands.
Adam Bandt, leader of the Greens, criticized the decision, stating that it contradicted the government’s recent climate change regulations, which stipulate a 43 percent emissions reduction target by 2030.
“The administration is already undermining the climate law, and the ink isn’t even dry now,” he told ABC Radio on Friday.
Teal independents also voiced concern, with Zali Steggall (above) stating that the measure “feeds the flames of climate change.”
“Opening up new coal, oil, and gas projects will not end the climate wars.”
This is a step that will take us further from a safe climate, and we will work to prevent it.
Zali Steggall, an independent from the Teal party, stated that the move “feeds the flames of climate change.”
In September, when federal parliament reconvenes, the Senate will begin its discussion of climate legislation.
While the administration reached an agreement with the Greens to pass the bill through the upper chamber, Mr. Bandt stated that the party would continue to advocate for a ban on new coal and gas projects.
Despite offending the Greens and climate activists on his left flank, Mr. Albanese is riding high in the polls, with a Resolve Political Monitor poll conducted on Tuesday indicating Labor has increased its primary vote to 42%, up from approximately 33% prior to the 21 May election.
The Coalition’s primary vote has decreased from 36% to 28%.
Minister of Natural Resources Madeleine King was also strongly criticized for the decision.