Does he believe it himself? Does anyone he talks to believe it? Yet you may be sure this has been focus-grouped to death and came out with a strong positive result so someone must at least say their vote will depend on it: No net cost for renewable plan: Labor.

Bill Shorten insists a plan to force commonwealth agencies to run on 50 per cent renewable energy will have no net cost.

But the opposition leader won’t say if the policy has been costed, relying on a government-commissioned report that found renewable energy puts downward pressure on power prices.

He’s also banking on technology getting cheaper before 2030.

“There’ll be no net cost,” Mr Shorten told reporters in Sydney on Thursday.

“I know if you want an economic plan you’ve got to have a plan for climate change.”

Mr Shorten repeatedly side-stepped questions on whether Labor had costed the plan to sign 10 to 15 year power purchase agreements with energy companies to buy renewables.

“It’s called leadership,” he said [to all the other lemmings].