‘Independent’ group Energy for Australians that ran anti-Labor ads received more than $1m from coal lobby
Summary
A group called Energy for Australians ran ads against the Labor party in the recent federal election. It was revealed that this group received over $1 million from a coal industry lobby group called Coal Australia, which includes major coal mining companies.Key Facts
- Energy for Australians described itself as an independent, community-driven group focused on energy independence.
- Coal Australia, a lobby group for coal miners, gave Energy for Australians over $1 million in funding.
- The group spent more than $800,000 on political ads criticizing the Labor party’s energy policies.
- The ads ran on Facebook and focused on the cost of energy, urging people to "switch off Labor."
- Experts say Energy for Australians is an example of "astroturfing," where a group pretends to be community-led but is backed by corporate interests.
- Coal Australia members include major coal companies like Yancoal, Peabody, New Hope, and Whitehaven.
- The group’s website, now offline, promoted a mix of nuclear, coal, gas, and renewable energy.
- The public officer registering the group said he only approved the campaign material after basic checks but had no further involvement.
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