Australian PM Scott Morrison: ditching Paris climate treaty wouldn’t cut energy prices

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says there is no need to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, because doing so would not affect electricity prices, and he has warned power companies they could face a royal commission into their conduct.

With the government still indulging in recriminations after the tumult of the past fortnight, the new prime minister used radio interviews with Alan Jones in Sydney and Neil Mitchell in Melbourne to stake out policy ground and send a message to disgruntled colleagues that they needed to settle down and focus on their jobs.

Morrison declared he was “restoring control” after a fortnight when the parliament resembled “the Muppet Show” and he borrowed a maxim from the American general Norman Schwarzkopf: “When placed in command, take charge”.

Asked how he intended to heal a divided government, Morrison said by getting people “to focus on their job”.

In the two radio interviews on Monday morning, including one with Jones, a Sydney shock jock hostile to Morrison’s predecessor Malcolm Turnbull – Morrison signalled he was not inclined to pull out of the Paris treaty because “I’m not convinced changing it makes any difference one way or the other – that’s the bottom line.”