Dutton Warns of ‘Blackouts’ Under Labor Energy Plan, Promises $10 Million for New Weather Radar

Campaigning has continued for both sides of politics.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton speaks to the media during post budget media interviews at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on March 26, 2025. Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty Images

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has renewed his push to lower power prices for Australians during a campaign stop in New South Wales (NSW), warning another Labor government could lead to blackouts.

The pledge comes as Dutton also announces a $10 million funding bid to improve weather forecast services in western Queensland amid ongoing flooding.

During campaigning in New South Wales, Dutton said the prime minister had promised on 97 occasions during the 2022 election that power prices would go down $275, but claimed they had instead soared by $1,300.

“The prime minister keeps saying that he’ll dish out $150 each quarter or every six months, but that won’t last beyond the election,” Dutton told reporters March 31.

Dutton said electricity was already up 32 percent and would go higher under Labor’s renewables only plan.

“There will be blackouts. The renewables energy only mix that he’s got on the table at the moment is a recipe for higher prices and Australians just can’t afford three more years of the Albanese government.”

Dutton Promises to Provide Detail on Coalition Power Savings

Dutton toured Cougar Mining in the electorate of Paterson, which is held by the Labor Party’s Meryl Swanson on a margin of 2.6 percent.

The seat covers the NSW Hunter region, north of Sydney, and is deemed a winnable seat by the Coalition, which needs to secure a high mark of 22 seats to secure the federal election on May 3.

The opposition is planning to build seven nuclear reactors if it wins the election, including Liddle in the Hunter Valley region.

While Dutton is promising to lower power prices for all Australians, he is still in the process of providing a specific figure on exactly how much electricity prices will go down if he is elected.

“We will have in terms of our offering at the next election to the Australian people a definite plan about how we can reduce prices ... I want to reduce power prices because that’s how we’re going to bring grocery prices down,” Dutton said.

During his budget reply speech, Dutton revealed the Coalition’s plan to establish a domestic gas reserve limited to local users.

He says the gas plan will bring 50 to 100 petajoules of new gas into Australia’s energy system to drive down power prices.

“At the moment you’ve got a situation where the government is choking supply—so they’re stopping gas coming into the system—which is what will force up prices, and we say to the companies that there is a requirement to put that back into the system through the mechanism that we put in place,” he said.

Dutton Promises $10 Million For New Weather Radar

Following his trip to regional NSW, Dutton hopped on a plane to Queensland where he toured flood impacted areas ahead of a media appearance in Brisbane.

In response, the opposition leader pledged $10 million for the Queensland weather radar.

Dutton, in a joint media release with the Nationals, said the commitment would improve confidence in weather forecasts from the Bureau of Meteorology.

“This $10 million funding announcement is yet another reflection that a Dutton-Littleproud government would once again prioritise the needs of regional Australians after the neglect of the Albanese government,” Dutton said.

“The Coalition knows that a new weather radar is of critical importance for communities and businesses in Central Queensland.”

Albanese Campaigns in Western Australia

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was in Western Australia campaigning on March 31 where a few key seats including Curtin, Tangney, Swan, Pearce, and Hasluck that could be in play.

Albanese criticised the opposition for not having a “2030 target” when it comes to renewable energy.

“He doesn’t have a 2030 target. We have a 2030 target. We’re confident we’ll meet it and our policy is very clear.”

The prime minister reiterated Labor’s policy was for “renewables backed with firming capacity of gas and hydro.”

Labor has pledged to rejig Australia’s energy grid to be comprised of 82 percent renewables by 2030.

Meanwhile, Labor’s Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen said Dutton’s nuclear plan would mean “more coal in the system” while waiting for nuclear.

“Meaning over 2 billion tonnes of extra pollution,” he said.

“And you’ll pay the price - paying for an energy grid that’s too reliant on expensive, unreliable, ageing coal,” Bowen said on BlueSky.