Ministers Defend Decision to Take Separate Private Jets to Official Climate Event

The energy minister has defended the decision, which is estimated to cost taxpayers $100,000.

Solar panels are seen on a roof in Albany, Western Australia, on March 29, 2024. Susan Mortimer/The Epoch Times

Australian Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen has defended the decision to take two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) jets to a climate change announcement with the prime minister.

The two jets travelled from Canberra to the Scone Memorial Airport in the Hunter Valley for a solar energy press conference.

“The Air Force advised that the most efficient way of getting the prime minister and two Cabinet ministers to the Liddell Power Station was to go to Scone Airport, where the runway was not rated for the prime minister’s normal large jet,” Mr. Bowen said at a press conference in Fairfield NSW on April 1.

“As you know, the prime minister always travels with the Royal Australian Air Force—all prime ministers have for living memory as long as certainly I’ve been involved. That’s for security reasons and quite appropriate.

At the announcement, the federal government advised they would be delivering $1 billion (US$649,000) of taxpayer funds to support solar manufacturing.

Driving from Canberra to the old Liddell Power Station site for the announcement would have taken between five and six hours, leaving in the morning on March 28.

The minister also said going together on one plane would have been difficult due to security requirements, staff and weight restrictions.

“Even the small jets weren’t fully laden because of the weight restrictions ... the prime minister’s security detail and other people involved going from, as you'd imagine, the prime ministerial visit, two Cabinet ministers,” he said.

“We limited the number of staff and even then, that was the Air Force advice—the most efficient way of getting us there.”

‘Grotesque’ Use of Taxpayer Dollars: Opposition

Coalition Social Services Minister Michael Sukkar criticised the decision, in an interview with 2GB on April 1.

“The prime minister is entitled to the use of a private jet and what would typically occur is a minister would hitch a ride with the prime minister,” Mr. Sukkar said.

“But to take a second plane for himself is something that I think is remarkable, is a grotesque use of taxpayer dollars.”

The solar announcement was part of the Labor government’s plan to become a “renewable energy superpower” in Australia and overseas.

“I want a future made in Australia. And I want a future made in our regions. Places like the Hunter that have powered our nation for more than a century will power our future,” Mr. Albanese said on March 27.

“We have every metal and critical mineral necessary to be a central player in the net zero transformation, and a proven track record as a reliable energy producer and exporter.”

Labor is aiming to ensure solar panels are manufactured in Australia, including in the Hunter region at the old coal-fired Liddle Power station.

Touting the initiative, the government noted only 1 percent of solar panels used in Australian households are made on home soil.

Further, Mr Bowen said Australian research helped invent the modern solar panel, and the announcement was about “creating Australian jobs to help manufacture them.”

“We know that the world’s climate emergency is Australia’s jobs opportunity, $1 billion to support Australian manufacturing in solar technology will help seize that opportunity,” he said.

In response to Labor’s push towards net zero, Nationals Senator Matt Canavan on March 28, called for Australia to ban solar panels made in China, saying local workers would not be able to compete with “slave labour.”

“The U.S. bans slave labour made Chinese solar panels, why don’t we?” he said on X. “There is no chance that Australian workers can compete with slave labour. So if we want a domestic manufacturing industry we have to ban the importation of slave labour-made products.”

More Climate Bills Passed

The Albanese government introduced two climate-related bills into the Parliament on March 27.

This includes a Net Zero Authority to support the country’s transition to net zero, backed by $189.3 million of taxpayer funds.

Further, the government introduced laws to mandate climate reporting for big businesses from January 2025.

The Treasury Laws Amendment (Financial Market Infrastructure and Other Measures) Bill (pdf) will require large companies to complete a climate statement together with their financial statements.

On April 1, Mr. Bowen also advised 100 new EV fast-charging sites had been rolled out in Australia in the first half of 2024.

“That brings us to a total of 3,000 public charging sites, regular charging sites with 7,000 charging sockets,” he said.