Tony Abbott is calling for Australia to abandon the Paris Climate Agreement.

The former Prime Minister used his lecture at the Australian Environment Foundation last night to advocate for the country’s withdrawal from the deal, saying it would detach Australia from the “emissions obsession” underpinning the National Energy Guarantee.

The conservative stalwart also defended his ongoing criticism of Turnbull’s signature energy policy, saying it should include a price target, as well as an emissions goal.

Senator Eric Abetz has told Luke Grant that while the intricacies of the energy policy are not complete, coal should not be demonised.

“The National Energy Guarantee is at this stage just a framework,” he explains.

“We still have to put the flesh on it. Like everything in public policy, the devil is in the detail. We have not been provided the detail as yet.”

“But government has been mucking around with policy for far too long, subsidising solar, wind, hydro, involving itself in the gas market. We are willing to interfere for all forms of energy, other than coal.”

“Coal is our cheapest, most reliable source of energy on which our nation’s economic wellbeing is built. Why are countries like Japan, China, India, wanting to buy our coal? Because it is a high-quality coal that is high in density, low in emissions and as a result, is able to provide really good energy.”

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