Not even a month into its incumbency, the Albanese government has found itself in choppy seas. Inflation and interest rates are poised to rise and, adding to the headwinds, energy supply shocks have this week reverberated through the eastern states.

Labor on Thursday formally updated Australia’s international emissions reduction commitment and claimed the nation now “turns the corner” on a policy issue that has plagued the parliament for more than decade. But as Michelle Grattan writes today, moving away from fossil fuels is a tricky and nuanced transition, involving factors not entirely within the government’s control. And Grattan says the opposition “will exploit the immediate problems to ensure they are kept ablaze”.

Labor has been quick to blame the energy crunch on the Coalition’s failure to take Australia further down the renewables path while in office. But as Roger Dargaville explains, the crisis goes deeper than that. It can be traced to decisions by successive state and federal governments, dating back decades.

And Madeline Taylor argues it’s time for governments to take greater control of the east coast energy market. She points to rules in Western Australia – such as 15% of all gas produced being reserved for domestic use – that have helped shore up energy supplies in the remote state.

And finally, it might not surprise you to learn eight million Australian homes lack sufficient insulation, design, heating and cooling. Today, Nimish Biloria reveals three things to consider when retrofitting homes to be more energy-efficient.

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