The net-zero emissions target was the subject of a lot of hot air in Parliament House on Monday. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
There were a number of high-level, constructive contributions to the ongoing climate change debate in and around Parliament House on Monday (28 July).
And then there was Barnaby. And then there was Pauline.
Barnaby Joyce, former Nationals leader, former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, helped kick off proceedings in the House of Representatives by introducing his much-anticipated (yawn) Private Member’s Bill to repeal the nation’s net zero carbon emissions target.
Outside the building just moments before, he was joined by fellow former Deputy PM and former Nationals leader Michael McCormack, two other Nationals and one lone ranger Liberal MP for a fizzer of a media conference.
Inside the chamber, the Barnstormer spoke on his bill about the futility of the next zero target (“net zero is going to have absolutely no effect on climate whatsoever”) and the dangers of sticking with it (“the power bill – the power bill! It has been hitting the roof!”).
A Private Member’s Bill is a valuable tool of the parliament.
It provides MPs who are not part of the executive an opportunity to bring attention, by way of proposed legislation, to issues they deem important to themselves and their constituents.
Apart from bills to impose or vary taxes, there is considerable freedom in the topics MPs can choose to highlight with a bill.
It is not a function to be abused, but it often is.
Barnaby Joyce’s bill will go nowhere.
Neither he nor Mick Mack (McCormack) nor any of the Nationals have anything near the numbers needed for this bill to be taken seriously.
It was a stunt designed to put pressure on the Coalition and its internal review of climate change policy.
The Nationals and Liberals are eating themselves alive over it.
Nationals leader David Littleproud had to fob off suggestions that his predecessors were staging a climate change coup and a partyroom revolt.
“We’ve got a process, a unanimous process agreed to by our party room, to review this,” he said when the media asked him about Barnstorm and Mick Mack.
“That’s not going to be forever. That’s a process that will only take a couple of months.
“We’ve got backbenchers that have every right to bring forward Private Member’s Bills. You should never discourage that.”
Leader of the Liberals – the actual Opposition Leader, Sussan Ley – was also asked about it and talked in terms of “passionately held views” and the Coalition’s policy review.
“It will be underpinned by two fundamental things,” she said.
“Playing our part to responsibly and transparently reduce emissions as we should, and also have a stable, reliable energy grid that provides affordable energy for households and businesses.
“Now, those two propositions are eminently sensible.”
By the end of the day, Pauline Hanson and her One Nation team in the Senate used an urgency motion to scrap the net-zero by 2050 emissions target.
It only served to highlight further just how divided the Coalition is on the issue.
When it came to the vote, One Nation was joined by two Coalition senators and Ralph Babet of the United Australia Party.
That totalled seven in favour, while all of Labor, the Greens, the rest of the crossbench and what few other Coalition senators were there voted no.
There were 39 votes against.
That doesn’t add up to 76 senators because not all of them were in the chamber.
Of note was how few Coalition senators turned up for the vote.
A whole bunch of them wandered back in soon after the vote was completed. Funny that.
The parliamentary antics could not have been starker in their difference to the tone of comments made just down the road by Tuvalu’s Prime Minister Feleti Teo speaking at the Australian National University.
His tiny Pacific island nation is facing a very real existential threat due to climate change and rising sea levels.
Tuvalu and Australia have entered a treaty to allow more of Tuvalu’s citizens to gain permanent residency in Australia.
“Despite our renewed and elevated diplomatic relationship with Australia, it does not restrain us from calling for Australia to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions or halt exports of fossil fuels,” Mr Teo said.
“Tuvalu’s survival depends on all nations rapidly transitioning to renewable energy … Unfortunately, we have very limited time to do so.”
A little further up the road in Sydney, the United Nations’ climate change executive secretary Simon Stiell was urging Australia to be bold in its emissions targets.
To reach net zero by 2050, Australia must soon set its 2035 emissions target.
Mr Stiell said the decision will define Australia’s future and the government should not settle for a mediocre target.
“Bog standard is beneath you,” he said.
“Go for what will build lasting wealth and national security. Go for what will change the game and stand the test of time.”
Mr Stiell will meet with Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen at Parliament House today (Tuesday).
Barnaby and Pauline are not invited.
