Funding Australia’s renewable transition isn’t ‘picking winners’ – it’s securing our future

The Albanese government’s plans to a transition to a renewable energy economy has been criticised as ‘picking winners’ by some. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Last week Anthony Albanese finally announced the government’s major plan for the transition to a renewable energy economy. The Future Made in Australia plan was quickly derided by critics as “picking winners”, in the misguided view that the market is better at deciding how to tackle the climate emergency and that the market is in any way free or lacking distortions.

It’s an article of faith among many economists and commentators that governments should not try to “pick winners”, despite the fact that Australia has a long and glorious tradition of doing so.