Nationals backbencher Barnaby Joyce says people in the bush are hurting over net zero. Photo: Barnaby Joyce/Instagram.
Barnaby Joyce’s private member’s bill to scrap net zero climate laws got an airing on the first day of the current parliamentary fortnight, in a move Labor hopes will expose internal Coalition divisions.
Mr Joyce introduced his bill as one of the first pieces of business when the new parliament opened in July, saying the legislated goal to have net zero emissions by 2025 was hurting Australians living in the regions and should be repealed.
But while private member’s bills such as this often linger undebated on the books indefinitely, the Federal Government allowed MPs to speak on it in the House of Representatives on Monday (25 August).
It follows the Queensland Liberal National Party conference over the weekend, where delegates, including Federal National Party Leader David Littleproud, voted overwhelmingly to dump the party’s commitment to net zero.
Other state branches of the Coalition parties have also arced up over the net zero commitment.
Seeking to capitalise on what it sees as a serious rift inside Federal Opposition ranks, Labor brought the bill on for debate (if not yet a vote) Monday morning.
Inside the chamber, Queensland Coalition MP Garth Hamilton spoke in support of Mr Joyce’s bill and in support of nuclear energy.
“We live in a time where we have a government that is blocking a proven technology that would reduce emissions. It’s called nuclear,” he said.
It’s used all around the world. This isn’t working. This trial of net zero that we’ve done isn’t working.”
As expected, Labor went straight on the attack, saying Opposition MPs were undermining their own federal leader, Sussan Ley.
The Coalition’s formal position on climate change and emissions targets is currently under review.
Labor’s Ali France, who defeated former Opposition leader Peter Dutton at the last election in the Queensland seat of Dickson, described Mr Joyce’s bill as “bizarre” and “against the will of the people”.
She said the Queensland LNP were still in denial.
“The people of Australia overwhelmingly voted at the last election to support better healthcare, more cost-of-living relief, a strong jobs economy that includes a transition to cheaper renewable energy,” she said.
Then she turned her comments to how the backers of Mr Joyce’s bill were disrespecting Ms Ley.
“They are not even trying to hide their undermining of the Leader of the Opposition anymore,” Ms France said.
“This is their desperate attempt to cling on to the keystone policy of my predecessor [Mr Dutton in the seat of Dickson] despite it being shot down by Australians at the election.”
But Mr Joyce told reporters shortly before the debate began in the chamber that the bill wasn’t about him or about Ms Ley.
And he didn’t care that Labor was playing politics with the bill; he was just happy to see it being debated.
“People are now living the experience of net zero, and people are not enjoying their lives,” he said.
“I respect Sussan Ley. I think she’s a great lady … it’s not about the internal dynamics.
“I mean, in this building, it’s all about who’s who in the wooden canoe, and, you know, how terrible this is.
“My life is difficult when I go to lunch, it’s not about that. It’s about the discussion of an issue which is hurting regional Australia.”
Elsewhere in Canberra, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was holding a media event about first home buyers when his government’s 2035 emissions target would be announced.
The government must set a 2035 target as a step towards the 2050 net-zero goal.
But Labor is taking its time revealing what that interim target will be.
“We’ll announce this when there’s an announcement, and we’ll put out that statement after Cabinet makes a decision, and we’ll announce it,” Mr Albanese said.
The PM couldn’t help taking the opportunity to have a dig at the Coalition’s very public internal conflict over emissions targets.
“What we’ll always do is to support action on climate change, and there are two vastly different positions when it comes to climate change,” he said.
“You have a government that understands that climate change is a challenge, but it’s also an opportunity.
“If you get rid of net zero, you are saying climate change is not real, and you do not need to do anything about it.
“You have Barnaby Joyce, whose private member’s bill will be debated in the parliament this morning, openly saying that climate change is not real. That’s effectively what they are saying.”
