South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill criticised the government’s backflip on carbon pricing. Picture: Nick Goodman/AAP

The Opposition leader backed Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s response to South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill after he suggested the states could go it alone on a carbon scheme for the electricity sector.

Mr Shorten said Australia did need a national approach to energy policies.

But that was where their agreement ended.

Mr Shorten savaged the Turnbull Government’s backflip on carbon pricing and an emissions intensity scheme this week, calling the Prime Minister a coward who needed to stand up to the right-wing “bullies” in his party.

“It wasn’t renewable energy which caused the 23 wind towers or the power towers in SA to collapse, it was cyclonic winds,” the Federal Labor leader said.

“Malcolm Turnbull once upon a time used to recognise that the best way to deal with increasing extreme weather events was to take long-term action on climate change.

“Now he has turned into a pale imitation of himself.”

Opposition leader Bill Shorten says states shouldn’t go it alone on an emissions intensity scheme. Picture: Aaron Francis/The AustralianSource:News Corp Australia

Mr Shorten said an emissions trading scheme was one of the strategies that should be examined in a climate change policy review.

Earlier, the SA Premier told ABC radio on Thursday he would be pressing for states to team up on their own scheme “in the absence of national leadership”.

Premier Weatherill will be discussing the idea with his counterparts ahead of Friday’s Council of Australian Governments meeting in Canberra.

A report by Chief Scientist Alan Finkel to be presented at the COAG meeting is expected to recommend an emissions intensity scheme.

Mr Turnbull scoffed at Mr Weatherill’s plan, pointing to the South Australian blackout as an example of the Premier’s own track record with energy recently.

“The SA Government has delivered a double whammy of not being able to keep the lights on and having the most expensive electricity in Australia,” Mr Turnbull told 3AW radio.

It comes after Mr Turnbull yesterday ruled out his government imposing an emissions intensity scheme — or a carbon tax — following a backbench revolt over a review of climate change policy.

He also left his Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg to explain why he said on Monday such a scheme would be looked at as part of the inquiry, only to deny mentioning it on Tuesday.

On Wednesday Mr Frydenberg joined the Prime Minister in insisting one would not be introduced.

“We believe the policy should be national,” Mr Turnbull said today.

“We have a national electricity market.

“Right now where you’ve got sluggish growth globally, where we’ve got a decline in business investment largely driven by the turndown in the mining construction boom ... clearly we have a vested interest in lower electricity prices or certainly not allowing them to continue to climb.”

Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull’s leadership has been questioned over carbon pricing. Picture: Mick Tsikas/AAPSource:AAP

Earlier, Mr Weatherill said the state’s first instinct would be to seek a national emissions intensity scheme but advice suggested it could be done without Federal Government support.

Mr Weatherill said power prices in his state would go down if an emissions intensity scheme was adopted.

The states could create their own policy on carbon pricing.Source:AFP

“It would clean up our energy system,” he said.

Such a scheme would also encourage more base-load gas generation and increase competition.

Dr Finkel will brief premiers and Mr Turnbull at the COAG meeting on Friday, after being commissioned to put together a national blueprint on energy security and reliability in the wake of blackouts across South Australia.

Deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop said energy needs to be as affordable as possible for families and communities.

“The prime minister has laid out the parameters of the review and it must be in accordance with our energy policy,” she said.

Ms Bishop insisted the emissions reduction fund is working well and Australia is meeting its global climate targets.

LEADERS MEET IN CANBERRA

Energy security and the state of the economy will be key topics of discussion when the Prime Minister meets with the state premiers in Canberra tomorrow.

National security, social cohesion, the GST, domestic violence and children in detention will also be on the agenda at the final Council of Australian Government’s meeting for 2016.

It’s understood the Murray Darling Basin plan, the Adler shotgun, child protection and indigenous affairs will also be discussed.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten today questioned whether the chief scientist would be gagged from speaking at COAG if his report disagreed with the Coalition’s position on emissions trading.

“This week has become the sickest joke of climate change policy since Malcolm Turnbull got elected,” he said.

The meeting will be the first time Australia’s leaders have met since the Federal election.