Why won't politicians stop lying about 'reliable renewables'?

The second starts – right now – with retaining all existing generation capacity that can be used as a stop-gap back-up source until we get better and cheaper back-up options.

It probably ends with abandoning the RET, pricing emissions consumption, and letting new technology deliver.

Is there hope for an effective response to this problem?

Blaming others has been the across-the-board political response so far. No sign of the energy policy 'drunks' signing up to AA courses that I can see.

Indeed, current 'processes' remind me of the classic 1960 duet between Harry Belafonte and the late Odetta entitled 'There's a hole in the bucket'. Adapted to reflect the present flailing around, finger-pointing, blame-shifting, and general lack of concrete action (apart from big 'announceables' about future action, after – of course – more reviews), this classic song might read as follows:

EMISSIONS ARE RISING

(aka 'PUMPED HYPER-EXPECTATIONS')

Apologies to 'There's a hole in the bucket', Harry Belafonte, Odetta, and many others.)

Emissions are rising, dear Malcolm, dear Malcolm
The planet is warming …. is there no way out? …
Well, cut them, dear Joshua, dear Joshua, dear Joshua
As Minister, dear Joshua, that’s what you’re about.
…

With what shall I cut them, dear Malcolm, dear Malcolm
A price on emissions?  What will voters cop? …
Try wind farms and solar, dear Joshie, dear Joshie
RET funding, and faith …  and hope warming will stop!
…

But these are not base-load, dear Malcolm, dear Malcolm
They are intermittent … our lights will go out …
Well, back them with back-up, dear JF, stealth fighter
Keep black-outs ‘off-radar’ … remove any doubt.
…

But back-up is costly, and takes time, dear Malcolm
Such power investments our Budgets will smash …
Phil Lowe says ‘it’s not so’.  We’ll Tweet, blog and borrow
For Snowy ‘pumped hydro’, Zen batteries and gas.
…

Well, brown coal is cheapest, and here now, dear Malcolm
Keep Hazelwood running, it’s ready to spin …
Let Sim’s pricing probe kick reform down the road, while
more coal base-load now, and next poll I can win.
…

But … All coal is warming, dear Malcolm, dear Malcolm
Our ‘Paris placation’ we surely can’t dodge? …
With Pruitt’s submissions, to hell with emissions! No outages mean I stay here in the Lodge.
…

(Sigh)… Emissions are rising, ‘blame others’, our goal  ….
While policy leaks from … …. a bucket of holes!

I hope I am wrong. If not, blackouts, soaring energy prices, and business closures, may well be our lot.