Greens Senator Jordan Steele-John wants WA to move from coal, gas to renewables

Greens leader Richard Di Natale has been forced to clarify his party’s policies after his WA Senate candidate left open suggestions the Greens wanted to shut down the State’s gas export sector by 2030.

Senator Di Natale also warned animal activists against breaking the law after Senator Jordon Steele-John stopped short of condemning radical protesters invading WA farms.

Speaking at the launch of the Greens’ jobs policy in Perth, Senator Steele-John was pushed as to how the Greens’ plan to have 100 per cent of the nation’s energy needs supplied by renewables by 2030 would hit WA’s resources sector.

Asked if gas needed to be phased out completely, Senator Steele-John replied: “Absolutely there needs to be an across the board transition to renewable energy.”

“I think we need to recognise that here in WA we need to recognise that gas and coal are very much part of the same energy mix and whether they be gas or they be coal we need to be getting to renewable energy as quickly as possible.”

Asked about animal activists raiding farms to steal animals as part of a radical national campaign against cruelty, Senator Steele-John said protesters were making a point and Australians were demanding a “ethical agricultural industry”.

Senator Di Natale stressed that the Greens plan to shift to 100 per cent renewables by 2030 was for domestic energy generation only and the Greens’ main emphasis was on ending the use of coal.

He said the Greens wanted to end coal exports by 2030.

“It’s about coal. Not gas – I make that point very very clear,” Senator Di Natale said.

Asked about animal activists invading farms, Senator Di Natale said the Greens did not support breaking the law.

“If people break the law then clearly they need to face the consequences of those actions," he said.

The value of WA’s LNG sales stood at $27 billion in 2018 and LNG accounted for 21 per cent of the State’s total commodity sales.

Gas giant Woodside said WA gas exports were helping big polluting countries reduce emissions as they switched from coal.

“The LNG that Woodside supplies into Asian markets, and the pipeline natural gas for WA, extend energy security and provide a cleaner burning energy source,” a Woodside spokesperson said.