For any opposition party that values a strong democracy, its most important job is to present as a genuine alternative government that is electorally competitive.

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This might seem obvious, but it seems to have been overlooked by the Liberals federally when formulating climate and energy policy. The prospect that their Canberra counterparts will make the same mistake is a bad sign at the start of Mark Parton's charismatic new leadership.

There is no question that the highly educated voting public in the ACT strongly supports rapid action to transition to renewables. It understands that the benefits outweigh the costs.

The International Energy Agency's most recent report agrees with domestic experts and makes clear that an aggressive transition to renewables will be the most economically efficient path to lower bills. Unlike the fossil fuel industry, or indeed those involved in the manufacture of renewables, there is no conflict of interest that stops this respected, neutral agency from being entirely clear-eyed.

Apart from the money, a rapid transition has the benefits of limiting climate change, along with its more destructive weather. It also increases Australia's prestige among our neighbours and globally.

Unlike most other states and territories, there are no fossil-fuel production interests in the ACT. It is perplexing why the Canberra Liberals would even contemplate following their federal counterparts by abandoning the commitment to reach net zero by........

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