Energy Minister Chris Bowen has lashed out at a veteran television journalist during a fiery press conference, telling him to ‘sit down’ while being grilled over the government’s renewable energy policy.

At the minister’s daily media conference on the fuel crisis arising from the Middle East conflict, Channel Seven journalist Liam Bartlett asked the minister why he was not deviating from his plan to focus on renewable energy and instead bolster the country’s fossil fuels to become more self-reliant.

Bartlett said Australia still runs on petrol and diesel rather than renewables, and suggested the government’s focus was in the wrong place.

‘Hasn’t this war shown us that your obsession with renewables will only lead us down the track to another energy crisis?’ Bartlett asked.

Bowen immediately pushed back.

‘That’s pretty loaded – that’s a comment, not a question – I reject the premise of your question.’

The minister went on to defend the government’s renewable strategy.

‘Renewable energy is secure. The Australian sun cannot be interrupted by a war or anything else,’ Bowen said.

+5
View gallery

Energy Minister Chris Bowen clashed with a journalist during a fiery press conference on Wednesday

+5
View gallery

Channel Seven journalist Liam Bartlett interrupted the minister’s daily press conference on the fuel crisis and war in Iran to accuse the government of refusing to shift its renewables agenda

‘Solar energy has to travel 150 million kilometres from the sun. It doesn’t have to travel the 150km of the Strait of Hormuz.’

‘That’s why I’m able to say not a single ship that has been expected to arrive in Australia has been interrupted,’ he said.

Bartlett continued to interject as he accused the government of ‘playing catch-up’ during the ongoing fuel crisis.

‘Do you put your hand up and say ‘I’ll resign’? he asked Bowen.

‘I’ve been trying to ask you questions since January… Why can’t you sit down and answer open, honest questions?’ he said.

Bowen accused Bartlett of disrupting his press conference.

‘I’ve held a press conference every day. This is the first press conference you’ve been to,’ the minister fired back.

‘You need to show a bit more respect to your colleagues.’

Join the discussion184 comments

Is Australia putting its energy future at risk by prioritising renewables despite global instability?

What’s your view?

+5
View gallery

The veteran television journalist (pictured) accused the Energy Minister of being a hypocrite

+5
View gallery

Chris Bowen’s patience was tested during Wednesday’s press conference

But Bartlett said he had previously tried to secure a one-on-one interview with Bowen but received no response, leaving him with no option but to attend the press conference instead.

He then accused the government of sending billions to China to supply renewables

‘Let me get this right. Your renewables transition policy will not alter one iota, despite what this war has shown us with the failure of your energy policy?’ Bartlett asked.

‘Your focus has been wholly and solely spending billions of dollars we haven’t got on questionable green infrastructure… You’re totally hypocritical on this, minister.’

‘That’s a comment, not a question,’ Bowen replied, before telling him to sit down and accused him of grandstanding.

Barlett hit back: ‘What are you scared of?’

Despite the interruption, Bowen used the exchange to double down on the government’s energy transition.

‘Net zero and climate action are unquestionably in Australia’s economic best interests,’ he said.

+5
View gallery

Energy Minister Chris Bowen insists Middle East tensions won’t shift Australia’s approach to new oil exploration, saying decisions must be based on ‘engineering and economics, not ideology’

Bowen also defended the pace of the rollout, saying Australia was ‘absolutely blitzing it’ on renewables, with more batteries being added to the grid than any other country on a proportional basis.

Another journalist asked Bowen whether the conflict in the Middle East had changed his view on the need for Australia to expand its oil exploration and on-shore refining so as not to be so reliant on shipments from the Middle East.

‘No, I’ve always said that should be handled on engineering and economics, not ideology,’ Bowen replied.

‘This is not a culture war. If oil can be extracted in Australia to replace imports, great,’ he said.

‘But as I’ve pointed out before, Matt Canavan – when he was a minister – issued licences for oil in the Great Australian Bight.

‘Fair enough, good on him, he had a go. But those licences were handed back by the companies because it’s too geologically challenging, too deep and too complicated.’

Bartlett argued the government was taking too long to approve new oil projects.

‘Those exploration permits can take more than 11 years before hydrocarbon projects are up and running. It only takes about two years for a renewable project,’ he said.

Bowen disagreed.

‘If you look at wind farm approvals, they can take a lot longer than that.’