Q+A: Season 2023, Episode 30

2023 - 30: Energy, EVs and Extreme Weather

This week on Q+A… tackling Australia's energy crisis. The nation's biggest cities are at risk of rolling blackouts this summer, and the regulator is warning of a bleak decade of power outages to come. As temperatures rise and coal power plants close – how will our leaders ensure we can keep the lights on?

The return of El Niño is set to bring hotter days and lower winds, putting more pressure on an already strained system as people try to keep cool. Delays and cost blowouts for projects like Snowy Hydro 2.0 – along with a slowdown in clean energy investment approvals – have heightened concerns about the transition to renewables. Do we need to look at more radical solutions?

Meanwhile, the turbulence for Qantas continues after the High Court found it illegally sacked 1,700 workers at the height of the pandemic. With a Senate inquiry set to begin – will the government be forced to come clean about the controversial Qatar Airways decision?

And Labor has finally got its headline housing bill over the line – but questions remain about when and where the new homes will be built. How soon will the work begin

Joining David Speers on the panel live in Sydney:

Chris Bowen, Minister for Climate Change & Energy
Ted O'Brien, Shadow Minister for Climate Change & Energy
Allegra Spender, Independent Member for Wentworth
Nicki Hutley, Independent Economist
Will Shackel, Founder of Nuclear for Australia