Opposition Leader Angus Taylor Calls for More ‘Digging and Drilling,’ Vows to Scrap Net Zero

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has called for increased oil and gas production in Australia and pledged to scrap net zero emissions policies if elected.

Taylor told the Australian Energy Producers conference in Adelaide that a Coalition government would prioritise what he described as “energy abundance” and remove barriers to new gas and oil projects.

“Australia needs energy abundance. We must get busy digging and drilling,”  he said.

Taylor criticised the Albanese government’s energy policy, saying it had prioritised emissions reduction over affordability and reliability.

“Since coming to power, the Albanese government has prioritised net zero ideology and emissions reduction above all else,” Taylor said.

He said Labor had dismissed cheap, “always-on” power for expensive, “sometimes-on” industrial scale renewables.

Taylor noted this had contributed to 40 percent surge in power prices and rising costs across the economy.

“As you know, when energy costs more, everything costs more. Farming costs more. Building costs more. Manufacturing costs more. Transport costs more. Powering a home, a business, and a factory costs more,” Taylor said.

The Liberal Opposition leader warned rising electricity demand from data centres and electrification made the situation urgent.

“AEMO recently estimated that the energy consumed by data centres alone could rise from about 5 terawatt-hours today to 25 terawatt-hours over the decade. That’s a 400 percent increase,” Taylor said.

Coalition Would Back Coal, Hydro, Nuclear, and Renewables

Taylor promised a Coalition government would support a mix of energy sources including coal, hydro, nuclear, batteries, and renewables in what he called the “right places.”

“And it certainly includes much more gas and oil,” he said.

Taylor also rejected a proposed 25 percent tax on gas exports, saying it would deter investment and stall projects such as Woodside’s Browse Basin.

“Bigger taxes mean less investment, fewer projects, fewer resources, and ultimately less tax revenue for Australians,” he said.

He pledged to scrap Labor’s net zero policies, carbon taxes, and a regime of corporate welfare. He labelled the Future Made in Australia agenda as “wasteful and ineffective.”

“Net zero is a major obstacle—and it will go,” Taylor said.

“Handouts, bailouts, and carve-outs are being used to prop-up green energy rent seekers.”

Bowen Backs Renewables

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen defended the government’s renewable energy agenda, travelling to Denmark this week to discuss global energy security and boost clean energy investment in Australia.

“It’s clear that renewable energy is essential to Australia’s security,” Bowen said.

In relation to oil drilling, Bowen recently said proposals for more oil extraction in Australia should be considered “very carefully and sensibly” to replace imports.

However, he criticised the Coalition’s record on new fossil fuel projects during its time in office.

“There were no new oil drilling projects begun under Angus Taylor’s time as energy minister or Matt Canavan’s time as resources minister,” Bowen said.

Meanwhile, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, who also spoke at the conference in Adelaide, called for a major expansion of oil and gas production.

“We want more gas extracted and more money given back to Australians’ future wealth,” Hanson said.