Parliamentary Friends Groups: Connecting Parliament with Energy Networks
On 12 August, we were proud to support the launch of the Parliamentary Friends of the Energy Transition – a group of more than 35 federal members of parliament and senators that want to actively and productively engage on ensuring a sustainable, affordable and reliable energy future.
Understanding Parliamentary Friends
Parliamentary Friends groups are a unique feature of the Australian Parliament. They serve as informal, cross-party groups that provide a platform for parliamentarians to engage with specific sectors, causes, or communities, facilitating greater communication and advocacy outcomes. Unlike parliamentary committees, they are not bound by formal procedures, which allows for more flexible and diverse interactions. The strength of these groups lies in their ability to transcend political lines, fostering bipartisan support for issues that might otherwise be obscured by the political or media landscape.
In Australia, there are over 100 Parliamentary Friends groups, ranging from Friends of the Arts to Friends of Mental Health. Each group is co-chaired by members from different political parties, ensuring a balanced representation. They can be highly influential in elevating the visibility of specific issues among policymakers and the broader community. Their advocacy potential stems from their ability to foster ongoing dialogue between MPs, senators, and key stakeholders.
What makes Parliamentary Friends groups particularly effective is their ability to provide a consistent forum for discussion and action on strategic issues.
Supporting the launch of this Parliamentary Friends of the Energy Transition will allow us to further build relationships with parliamentarians and increase awareness of challenges and offer solutions based on our sector’s expert knowledge. Our goal will be to continue to generate momentum for legislative or policy change on our key strategic focus areas in a way that aligns with the future needs of customers.
Launching an energy-focused Parliamentary Friends group
ENA proudly supported the launch of the friends’ group, co-chaired by Dan Repacholi MP and The Hon Darren Chester MP, alongside the Minister for Climate Change and Energy The Hon Chris Bowen MP, and the Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy Mr Ted O’Brien MP and congratulates those members and senators for their bipartisan commitment.
At the launch, ENA presented findings from its latest report, The Time is Now: Getting Smarter with the Grid, which highlights the untapped potential of Australia’s electricity distribution grid. The report shows that smarter use of the grid could save customers approximately $160 per year, reduce overall system costs by $7 billion in 2030 alone, and better position Australia to achieve its climate targets.
We will continue to use this group to focus on several strategic issues affecting members. By maintaining an open dialogue with policymakers, ENA will push to convey the challenges and opportunities facing our sector.
We look forward to continuing to host Parliamentary Friends of the Energy Transition events as an additional advocacy tool for members to engage with policymakers at a national level.
