How the world works

Backscratching builds relationships.

The Australian’s Cut & Paste column today drags out a snippet of an SMH report from 2017. Anyone curious about the alliances and affinities of those who set and shape energy policy might wish to bear it mind when the next and ruinous electricity bill arrives:

Kristina Photios … (founded) Conservatives for Conservation … With (former Liberal MP Philip) Ruddock and (former Liberal NSW premier and now federal party chairman Nick) Greiner as ambassadors. The not-for-profit group is pushing for more renewable energy … (and) has also served as a platform for powerful companies that have recently paid Kristina and Michael (Photios) as professional lobbyists. That includes … AGL, Australia’s largest emitter … Through a series of lobbying firms (Michael Photios) and his business partners represent some of the nation’s biggest … coal interests such as Coal Energy Australia and … Glencore … A third Clean Energy Strategies lobbyist, Ian Hancock, also works for Michael’s firm Capital Hill, which represents coal interests, while sitting on the Conservatives for Conservation committee. Kristina said possible conflicts of interest were managed under a strict policy … When Fairfax Media called Clean Energy Strategies’ office, a voice answered “Capital Hill?”

Cut & Paste can be read in full (by subscribers) at this link.