Dutton’s Energy “Plan” for WA is Reckless and Desperate (19 March 2025)
MEDIA STATEMENT
19 March 2025
Peter Dutton’s latest election stunt shows he has no idea about the future of energy in WA with a reckless plan to override proper scrutiny on major projects, reverse the support we need to build our future energy sector and waste billions of taxpayer dollars on his nuclear fantasy.
“Peter Dutton's position on Production Tax Credits (PTCs) is directly opposed to the WA Chamber of Minerals and Energy, showing he does not understand WA and is not interested in building WA’s economic future.
“Creating uncertainty about PTCs is a real threat to companies building WA’s energy industries and jobs of the future. It puts at risk critical minerals and hydrogen projects that are currently under development, affecting companies like BP and Fortescue.
“With the North West Shelf, we need to be disciplined about working out whether the benefits exceed the costs. The Federal government is currently working through the approval process to determine whether the project meets environmental and heritage standards.
“In a move that’s straight out of the Trump playbook, Peter Dutton wants to override approval processes and proper scrutiny. We have approval processes for a reason, and we need to protect their integrity, without political interference.
“It’s unclear whether a national interest test would result in approval of the North West Shelf anyway. The truth is, the North West Shelf extension won’t lower gas prices in WA or improve local supply, because 90% of this gas is exported. It’s not an energy security solution for WA. And let’s not forget, oil and gas extraction employs less than 1% of the WA workforce and returns astonishingly little in royalties.
“Today’s announcement is another political distraction from Peter Dutton’s expensive nuclear mirage, that won’t deliver a single watt of power for decades, has been dismissed by experts and is not backed by the energy industry.
“Instead of promoting a nuclear fantasy and steamrolling due process, we need leaders who will show some vision and be bold about setting WA and Australia up to prosper as the world inevitably decarbonises.
“WA deserves a serious, evidence-based energy transition - not another Dutton thought bubble.”
