Normative Bases

Australia’s Net Zero policy has imposed substantial hidden and explicit costs on energy-intensive industries and consumers, contributing to higher household power bills and manufacturing offshoring [Judgment]. In a context of rising inflation and fiscal strain, repealing the Net Zero framework redirects billions of dollars in subsidies and compliance expenses back into productive uses, boosting economic output and relieving cost-of-living pressures.

Strategic and national-security considerations counsel against further hollowing out of Australia’s industrial base. Dependence on intermittent, subsidised renewables without reliable baseload alternatives weakens the resilience of critical infrastructure and our capacity to sustain defence production [Judgment]. Restoring a policy environment that allows coal, gas and dispatchable power to compete on market terms supports a stable energy supply and underpins sovereign capability.

Furthermore, treating the right to property and enterprise equitably requires ending privileged government guarantees for selected energy sectors. Under the current scheme, multinational developers enjoy taxpayer‐backed revenue guarantees that no other industry receives—a distortion that undermines fair competition and imposes hidden liabilities on future generations [Judgment]. Removing these distortions realigns the economy with market principles and individual property rights.

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Institute of Public Affairs, “Net Zero Costs Report,” 2025, est. total expenditure to date.

Bills before Parliament