The Australian Greens want to see the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions cut by 80 per cent by 2050 – but don’t know how much their strategy will cost.

The party has released a statement today, Re-energising Australia, saying the targets are needed to bring Australia’s emission into line with other nations.

The Greens first want to see a 30% cut in emissions by 2020, rising to 80% by the middle of the century.

Yet at the same time they admit that they have not done any official figures on costing the strategy.

“We haven’t done economic modelling in relation to this report,” Greens Senator Christine Milne has said this morning. “That is the job of government.”

Instead, Milne says the Greens are trying to generate a national debate.

But there’s a problem with her party’s approach. A pretty major problem.

If you don’t offer facts, if you don’t spell out implications, you’re not actually having a debate. You’re making assertions. You’re indulging in gesture politics.

Or, as the Greens always do, you’re simply scaremongering. Scaremongering – and chasing cheap publicity.