Adam Bandt has today called on Labor to listen to climate voters and refuse to open up catastrophic climate destroying gas projects of Scarborough in WA and the Beetaloo in the NT.

Former WA Premier, Colin Barnett, today is reported in the Australian Financial Review as saying:

“But climate change is what people talked about and Labor talked about [at the election] so it will be difficult to achieve a tougher target for 2030 when you’ve got a big project like Scarborough.

The Greens leader, Adam Bandt, has described the dirty deal done on the eve of election caretaker period between the Morrison government and NT Labor to fast-track the Beetaloo methane gas project as a climate crime.

The Beetaloo project will increase Australia’s emissions by up to 13%.

Fracking the Northern Territory is an insult to traditional owners who don’t want it to happen and a climate crime. 

Following an extraordinary day of testimony at the Senate inquiry into oil and gas exploration and production in the Beetaloo Basin, The Greens have today reiterated their support for Traditional Owners who continue to oppose the proposed ‘climate bomb’ fracking project.

At the Darwin hearing, chaired by Yamatji Noongar woman and Australian Greens Senator for WA Dorinda Cox, Traditional Owners expressed concerns at the continued absence of Free, Prior and Informed consent.

The Greens are also deeply concerned to hear testimony to the Inquiry that: 

The Greens are calling on Scott Morrison to immediately add to the sanctions list a Russian billionaire oligarch conducting business in Australia on the Scott Morrison-backed Betaloo gas project. 

Australia has recently listed a whole range of Russian billionaire oligarchs who got filthy rich through Putin, but in a move that will surprise no one, the Morrison government is offering special protections for those oligarchs with connections to the coal and gas industry. 

Minister Keith Pitt has this morning recommitted the Government to fracking the Northern Territory’s Beetaloo Basin through the funding stream that was previously struck down by the Federal Court.

The Beetaloo Cooperative Drilling Program will now see $19.4 million in grants awarded to Liberal Party-aligned donor Empire Energy.

Scott Morrison has departed Glasgow after committing Australia to the international consortium of climate sabotage alongside Russia and Saudi Arabia.

​​In a major announcement, more than 40 countries have agreed to phase out coal-fired power, but Australia has refused to sign on, with Liberal and Labor instead wanting more coal and gas.

As global momentum grows to match commitments with the goals of the Paris agreement, Australia is running a protection racket for coal and gas through accounting tricks, “non binding targets”, interference and delay tactics.

The Northern Territory gas fields hold the equivalent of 70 years worth of Australia’s complete national emissions from all sectors. 

Greens Senator Dorinda Cox says many traditional owners of the lands have raised serious concerns about the lack of consultation, information and respect through the process. 

The Australian Greens have savaged Labor’s decision to vote with the Liberals today in the Senate to spend public money opening up massive gas fields in the Beetaloo Basin, saying the move raised questions as to whether Labor still believes the climate crisis is real.

If Labor had voted with the Greens and crossbench, the fund would have been abolished, given the numbers in the Senate. Labor is responsible for the continued existence of the $50 million Beetaloo Co-operative Drilling Program to open up new gas projects.

The government must release documents relating to the awarding of a $21 million grant to Liberal Party-aligned fracking company Empire Energy, after the Senate this afternoon supported a Greens’ motion.

The order compels the government to produce by 9.30 am on Thursday, 12 August, all correspondence, lists of applicants and grant guidelines related to its Beetaloo Basin grant scheme, in addition to details of any meetings between Ministers Angus Taylor or Keith Pitt and Empire Energy.

The Greens say today’s awarding of $21 million of public money to a private corporation to frack the Northern Territory will turbocharge climate collapse, threatens groundwater and goes against the wishes of Traditional Owners.

The money, taken from the $50 million Beetaloo Basin slush fund created by the Coalition and supported by Labor, will be given to Imperial Oil and Gas to drill three new gas wells.