Family First's candidate in Monash at the federal election Geoff Dethlefs says Australia's rush to renewables power sources is foolish and for at least the next 15 years coal, hydro and gas offering cheaper power should remain until nuclear and battery technologies are further explored and developed.

Viable and realistic base-load power generation is one of Family First's key policy platforms for the election and Mr Dethlefs said the rush to renewables was not reducing the cost of living and threatened to decimate Australia's economy.
The world's three largest economies - China, the USA and India - choose not to be significantly powered by renewables, he said.
"Wind and solar can never provide base-load power and much more research is required into more capable extra-large battery storage that can provide power for at least five to eight hours," he said.
A career teacher who taught at schools in four states and in America Mr Dethlefs retired in 2011, his last eight years at Chairo Christian College at Drouin. He has lived in Drouin for the past 20 years.
He believes education must focus on reading, writing, calculating and exploring science, history and geography.
"It should not include issues of sexuality until students are in year 10 at least, and the idea that teaching staff can help a child change gender without serious and respected inputs from their parents is horrific and has to be deplored," he said.
On gender identity Mr Dethlefs said individuals were free to choose their sexual practices, but there were only two genders, male and female.
People should only enter toilets and changerooms for the gender they were born with and no male, should ever be permitted to participate in female sporting competitions, or vice-versa, he said.
Mr Dethlefs said if he was elected to parliament he would vote against any bills he believed were not in Australia's or the Monash electorate's best interests and in the case of there being a hung parliament with a minority government he would vote with the Liberal-National Coalition who was the best proven business managers.