The Coalition is targeting the long-term Labor seat of Hunter with $50 million splurge it says will develop "world leading" clean energy in the region.
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Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced the funds for research and business partnership between the University of New South Wales and University of Newcastle, to develop "technology solutions" to climate change.
The two universities will work with 27 industry partners in an attempt to develop and quickly rollout technology advancements in a host of clean energy fields, including solar and hydrogen.
Mr Morrison claimed the investment would underpin 1600 jobs in the Hunter region, a key election battleground, over the coming four years.
"We are investing in new clean energy technology to turbo charge our significant investments in hydrogen to create jobs around Australia, particularly in the Hunter," he said.
Employment Minister Stuart Robert said the universities and their industry partners had already offered more than $220 million to the project.
"This project will help harness the cutting-edge clean energy research being done in our top universities, including in hydrogen, solar, and green metals," he said.
The Coalition is seeking to rest the seat of Hunter from Labor, with long-term incumbent Joel Fitzgibbon stepping down at the May 21 poll.
Mr Fitzgibbon was an occasional critic of Labor's rhetoric on energy, arguing it had lost touch with its blue collar base as he resigned from the frontbench in 2020.
His replacement, Dan Repacholi, has also spruiked the future of the Hunter's coal industry, a major employer in the region.
The Coalition has consistently claimed "technology not taxes" would drive Australia's shift to net zero emissions by 2050, a target it only adopted in November after fractious negotiations between the Liberals and Nationals.
But the Prime Minister has been forced to defend its sincerity after a handful of backbenchers questioned the target.
Nationals frontbencher Bridget McKenzie also refused to reveal whether strengthened targets would be a deal-breaker for the junior coalition partner if negotiations with independents were required to form government.
Finn McHugh
Finn McHugh has been federal political reporter for The Canberra Times since July 2021. He joined the Canberra Press Gallery in 2019 where he was executive producer of Sky News's AM Agenda, before joining NCA NewsWire as a federal political reporter. He has previously interned at the Kuwait Times.
Finn McHugh has been federal political reporter for The Canberra Times since July 2021. He joined the Canberra Press Gallery in 2019 where he was executive producer of Sky News's AM Agenda, before joining NCA NewsWire as a federal political reporter. He has previously interned at the Kuwait Times.
