No loss of shock jock energy

2GB presenters in a funk over the Finkel review

But now to another long-running saga, which some hope is finally nearing a conclusion. And that is the national energy debate.

MELINDA NUCIFORA: After a decade-long policy blackout this man could be the political circuit breaker.

JOURNALIST: Will this end the climate wars, professor?

ALAN FINKEL: I’m looking forward to briefing the Prime Minister and ministers.

MELINDA NUCIFORA: Chief Scientist Alan Finkel has been charged with creating a national blueprint, to provide electricity, reliability, sustainability and affordability…

— Channel Ten News, 9 June, 2017

Ten days ago, the country’s chief scientist came up with a plan to end the stalemate on Australia’s energy policy. And last Monday he had high hopes for his report telling Q and A.

ALAN FINKEL: I just deeply hope that this is used for constructive purposes. Our report shouldn't be used as a battering ram or a cricket bat to score political points …

— ABC Q&A;, 12 June, 2017

So, how’s it shaping up?

Well, let’s tune into the shock jocks on Sydney’s top talk station 2GB.

Starting with Alan Jones, who dismissed Finkel before his report was even released.

ALAN JONES: Oh dear, this review of the future security of Australia’s electricity market by the chief scientist. I have no faith in this bloke at all. Finkel claims his new scheme will not only reduce CO2 emissions but drive down power prices. Is this bloke living in some dream world? Drive down power prices?... Forget it. This is another unbelievable mess. I would scrap the lot of it.

— 2GB, The Alan Jones Breakfast Show, 9 June, 2017

By Monday, former PM Tony Abbott was also in position to deliver his verdict, along similar lines. He told Ray Hadley that a clean energy target was:

TONY ABBOTT: … effectively a tax on coal and that’s the last thing we want.

— 2GB, The Ray Hadley Morning Show, 12 June, 2017

On Tuesday, midday presenter Luke Grant added his voice to what passes for debate on Macquarie radio, saying the thinking behind Finkel’s low emissions target was:

LUKE GRANT: … to jack prices up forever and to hell with the coal industry and it’s all right if elderly people can’t afford to run a fridge, well that’s, you know, part of the deal with climate change. I mean that’s crap. Someone’s got to call this mob out, rather than just go on, ‘yeah go the environment’. That’s rubbish.

— 2GB, The Chris Smith Show, 13 June, 2017

The next day, to provide some balance from another expert, Grant followed up with some insights from regular commentator Prue MacSween.

PRUE MACSWEEN: … I mean it’s a ship of fools leading us down the gangplank and plunging us further into the depths of depth, of debt. You know we, we’re paying these exorbitant energy bills because we’ve got this feel good climate change wank and let’s face it, that’s what it is.

— 2GB, The Chris Smith Show, 14 June, 2017

Meanwhile, Chris Smith, filling in for Alan Jones on the breakfast shift, was in such a funk over Finkel that he reckoned it was time for another people’s revolt.

CHRIS SMITH: Now, if you cast your mind back, you’ll remember the rallies that took place against the proposed carbon tax, rallies that I helped engineer and attended. Well, they could be back on the agenda again this time in relation to low emission targets.

— 2GB, The Alan Jones Breakfast Show, 13 June, 2017

Yes. Who could forget?

Back in 2011, Smith junked any notion of journalistic impartiality and became a cheerleader for demos against Julie Gillard’s carbon tax.

And here he is back in 2011 rallying the troops behind a joint 2GB attack.

CHRIS SMITH: … I’ve had a discussion personally with Alan Jones. I’ve had a discussion personally with Ray Hadley. I’ve had a discussion personally with Ben Fordham. They are all keen. If we can organise logistics, for the four of us to broadcast that day, at that rally, outside Parliament House …

… send the message around. It’s ‘stop carbon lies dot com’ that is where you can book to jump on a bus in your neck of the woods to get to Canberra …

— 2GB, The Chris Smith Afternoon Show, 13 July, 2011

In the end, 2GB management tried to stop its stars from taking part and Smith was the only one who did, but six years on it’s clear the climate at the station has not changed one bit.

So why does it need to?

Well, almost all the world’s climate scientists say we need to slow down global warming.

And that’s why Australia is one of 148 nations that has ratified the Paris Climate Agreement, in which we have promised to reduce our emissions.

Australian business leaders are also overwhelmingly behind a low-emissions policy.

And Australian energy providers say ten years of inaction and climate war is a key reason why power prices keep rising.

But why believe any of them when you’ve got the shock jock geniuses at 2GB ignoring all the evidence and telling Australia what we need to do?

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But for now until next week, that’s all from us. Goodbye

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