Opposition Leader Sussan Ley is under pressure from her own party over its position on net zero. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
Federal Liberal MPs are gathering in Canberra today (12 November) to nut out their position on net zero ahead of an upcoming meeting with the Nationals on the controversial policy issue.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley is hoping to find some semblance of a consensus within her ranks amid heightened speculation that her job depends on it.
While no one is yet openly talking about challenging Ms Ley, there have been a number of threats from both pro and anti-net-zero Liberals that they would quit her front bench if they don’t get their way.
An emerging compromise in the Liberal camp is for the party to somehow retain its commitment to the Paris Agreement on carbon reduction targets without stipulating support for the net-zero emissions by 2050 goal.
Such a position would be much easier said than done, as any watering down of Australia’s emissions reduction regime would be in contravention of its international commitments.
However, with the Nationals having already withdrawn their support for net zero, the Liberals find themselves in a difficult position as they attempt to reach a Coalition agreement on energy policy.
This week’s meetings were not previously planned but were hastily scheduled due to pressure sparked by the Nationals’ move.
Liberal Party federal director Andrew Hirst will join Liberal MPs and Senators at Parliament House for their midday meeting to present market research on voters’ views on climate action.
Shadow energy minister Dan Tehan will also present the findings of his review of the policy, before all MPs and Senators are invited to share their views.
Ms Ley and her shadow cabinet will then sign off on a final party position on Thursday (13 November) ahead of a negotiating meeting with the Nationals scheduled for late on Sunday (16 November).
Staunch anti-net-zero Nationals Senator Matt Canavan will be leading the junior Coalition party’s negotiations in the Sunday meeting.
Ahead of today’s Liberal get-together, a number of the party’s team members have been willing to express their positions on social media and in media interviews.
Frontbencher Tim Wilson took to X to say the Liberals would be nothing more than “Nationals-lite” if it dumped the commitment to net zero.
“Today is going to be a great day. Liberals face a choice,” he wrote.
“We can be Nationals-lite & outsource our emissions policy to globalists. Or we can lead, choose hope, a sovereign target, build energy, reindustrialise Australia & back small business!
“Welcome to Liberal country.”
South Australian Senator Leah Blyth described the outcome of her party’s meeting as the “million-dollar question”, but she doesn’t personally think the net-zero commitment is worth keeping.
“It will certainly be a very good process for us to have a genuine debate and come up with a position that’s in the best interests of the Australian people,” she told ABC radio.
“I think all of my colleagues are absolutely in favour of us doing our bit and to certainly have the minimal impact that we can on our natural environment.
“I think the really important thing is everyone in the Coalition is committed to doing what’s right for our economy, for the environment and for the Australian people … I don’t think that we can be stewards of the environment if we can’t afford it.”
Liberal frontbencher Melissa McIntosh would also like to see the net-zero position dumped in favour of a more “pragmatic” approach to climate change and energy policy.
She wants the Coalition to include nuclear power in the energy mix.
“We’re not anti-environment. We’re pro-reality,” Ms McIntosh said.
“I think it’s important for us to play our role as a nation when it comes to reducing emissions and looking after our environment.
“We need to have a pragmatic medium-term and long-term [policy]. In the long term, we should be looking at nuclear as an option.
“We want to power AI and have data centres here in Australia.”
Liberals converging on Canberra since Tuesday have also, when asked, expressed support for Ms Ley’s leadership regardless of the meeting’s outcome.
Shadow attorney-general Andrew Wallace was full of praise for the Opposition Leader.
“I think Sussan is doing a very good job under extraordinarily difficult circumstances,” he said.
“After coming off two election defeats, I think it is the toughest job in Australian politics right now, and I think she’s cool and calm under pressure.”
Angus Taylor, who was defeated by Ms Ley for the Liberal Party leadership following May’s federal election, said he had no plans to mount a challenge.
“I am very confident we will move to apply Liberal values to solve the problem of getting emissions down and, most importantly, making sure that life is affordable again for Australians,” Mr Taylor said.
