The speed of sustainability socio-technical transitions is dependent upon many factors. One of these is the amount, skill and success of political incumbent resistance. Australia has been a spectacular example of this resistance - politically, economically and culturally. This article contextualizes the recent effort of a collection of federal MPs, grandly if inaccurately named the 'Monash Forum', who advocated for the state-funded construction of a new coal-fired power station. If successful, such a move would consolidate the victories already achieved in slowing the socio-technical transition away from centralized fossil fuel-based electricity generation towards a more decentralized and diverse range of renewable energy generation, storage and supply. The Forum can be used as an object that is 'good to think with,' as a prism that lets us see the trajectories of politics, economics and culture. The article offers eight ways that the Monash Forum can be considered, within the broader scope of Australia's climate deadlock.