The big new energy policy unveiled by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Tuesday looks set to spark a brawl with Victoria at November's COAG meeting.
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Premier Daniel Andrews was scathing about the Prime Minister's "National Energy Guarantee" as details began to emerge on Tuesday, taunting Mr Turnbull and describing him as Tony Abbott's spokesman.
The Prime Minister says the new energy plan, which has at its centre the dumping of the Clean Energy Target, one of Mr Abbott's recent policy demands, is subject to negotiation with the states.
But the Premier did not appear in any mood to discuss the plan, which he said "junked" the work of Australia's Chief Scientist Alan Finkel, who recommended the target as part of his landmark review into the nation's energy policy in December.
"It would seem that Alan Finkel has been replaced as the Chief Scientist and that we now have Professor Tony Abbott as the chief scientist," Mr Andrews said.
"I don't think that's a good thing for energy supply, for security of supply, for prices for business and households.
"The Prime Minister needs to stand up...I'd settle for him pretending to be a leader but he's not even doing that."
"The fact that he's prepared to let Tony Abbott junk Alan Finkel's work, it's unspeakable, it's appalling."
Mr Andrews said the new energy policy would not be successful in what the Commonwealth says is its central aim, to cut retail electricity bills.
"It will not cut household bills, all it will do is continue this conservative climate change-denying inertia that is compromising the amount of energy we have, increasing the price of the energy we have and leading to some of the failure, some of the challenges that we face," the Premier said.