CANBERRA, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Australia's coalition government on Wednesday denied that it has split over the implementation of clean energy policy, after reports surfaced that more than half of the party was against a Clean Energy Target (CET) recommended by the nation's chief scientist.
On Friday, chief scientist Dr Alan Finkel handed down a review of the nation's energy climate, calling for greater security of Australia's power generators and supply, as well as a future CET to replace the nation's current Renewable Energy Target (RET).
A CET would involve subsidizing clean energy sources, but unlike a renewable energy target, could potentially involve "high efficiency" coal and gas generators in order to keep electricity prices low.
But at an overnight coalition partyroom meeting, around 20 members of the government raised concerns about implementing the policies brought up in the Finkel review, including former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who was vocal in claiming a CET would effectively be a "tax on coal."
Speaking to the press on Wednesday, Treasurer Scott Morrison denied there was a rift within the party, instead saying the partyroom played host to a healthy discussion about the future of Australia's energy climate.
"What there was yesterday was a clear consensus that if you stick to the status quo on energy policy then the prices are going to go up, hurting families, businesses and the economy," Morrison told reporters.
"There was also a widespread acknowledgment of the excellent work that both (Energy Minister) Josh Frydenberg and the prime minister had done in engaging colleagues about this issue."
Later on Wednesday, Frydenberg told Sky News that, as the report was only handed down to the government on Friday, there was always going to be conjecture in regards to its contents.
He said despite the initial disagreement about the implementation of a Clean Energy Target, there was still scope to involve high efficiency coal power generators -- a claim which Abbott said was nonsensical considering coal power would not be subsidized and therefore unfairly punished.
"Let's remember that this was not a report by government, but a report by Dr Finkel to government. It only came back to us last Friday and is now deserving of full and proper consideration," Frydenberg said on Wednesday.
"Last night's partyroom meeting was updating my colleagues about what is happening in the energy market and running through the recommendations made by Dr Finkel.
"Dr Finkel has been very careful to point out that he isn't putting any prohibitions on new developments, including those involving coal. What he is saying is that we need to keep coal in the system as it provides affordable power."
Frydenberg added that colleagues were mostly concerned with the rising price of electricity, not so much the proportion of coal or other sources in a potential CET.
"There are rapid transformations in the energy sector. We are seeing an increase in solar and wind energies, but we need to ensure that the transition (to clean energy) is concern," the minister said.
"What came through loud and clear from my colleagues last night is their deep concern for, appropriately, rising electricity prices."
Also on Wednesday, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Labor would be prepared to "work in the national interest" in regards to a CET, while party spokesperson Jason Clare said the government needed to get a move on in regards to forming its energy policy.
"This war, about what we do with climate policy, has been going on for 10 years, and has been going on in the Liberal party for just as long, and as a result, power prices and pollution is going up," he told Sky News.
"But we can't sit down and negotiate with the government until they work out what they're doing."
