Nationals MPs are demanding a say on whether the federal government embraces a more ambitious target to cut greenhouse gas emissions, forcing a party room meeting on the potential goal.
Anxious at what they see as “creeping language” from Prime Minister Scott Morrison about achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, some of the Nationals want more consultation before any cabinet decision.
Nationals Senate leader Bridget McKenzie said the party room had the right to clear the policy before it was embraced by the party.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
Nationals Senate leader Bridget McKenzie said the party room had the right to clear any new target before it was embraced by the party.
“On something so serious and something we’ve been so public on, of course it should be debated,” she said. “Given it would impact our communities and our people, it must go to the Nationals party room.
“We have our own set of values and our own mandate, which we’ve had for 100 years.”
Resources Minister Keith Pitt sparked the debate on Thursday morning by declaring that net zero by 2050 was not the government target and the Nationals had not been asked to agree to a new policy.
The government’s stated policy is to reach net zero at some point, although Mr Morrison has said he would “preferably” get there by 2050 – the deadline set by many other advanced economies.
“Now, for the government policy to change – and it hasn’t changed in this country, we have not committed to net zero by 2050 – will require the agreement of the Nationals and that agreement has not been reached or sought,” Mr Pitt told ABC Radio National.
Hours later, Nationals leader and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack side-stepped a question from Labor leader Anthony Albanese about whether Mr Pitt was correct that agreement had not been reached.
Nationals MPs said a discussion in their party room ended on Monday night with a clear message that the federal MPs did not support a net-zero target.
‘We have our own set of values and our own mandate, which we’ve had for 100 years.’
Energy Minister Angus Taylor has been trying to build support for his climate initiatives by forming a cabinet group in recent weeks to outline how the government’s spending on energy projects would reduce emissions.
The cabinet office policy committee, or COP-C, included Liberal and Nationals ministers but not backbenchers, some of whom feel they have been denied consultation.
Those who are sceptical about a net-zero target include former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce, former resources minister Matt Canavan and Senator McKenzie, the party’s former deputy leader.
Mr McCormack warned against the 2050 target in an interview this week but did not repeat his comments when asked in question time.
“We’re not signing up to anything. We’re not signing up to any international agreements, again, to see farmers and factories and households paying more for energy,” he told The Conversation.
Asked by podcast host Michelle Grattan if people could be sure the Nationals would not embrace that target, he replied: “Correct.”
Nationals deputy leader and Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said the government would only sign up to a net-zero target when it could tell Australians how it would be paid for.
“I think the whole Coalition will want to see and be honest with the Australian public about how we get there and who pays for it,” he said.
Labor, meanwhile, experienced its own friction when resources spokeswoman Madeleine King spoke in favour of gas development and export in a speech to an oil and gas industry conference.
While Ms King outlined a position in line with Labor’s policy platform, which endorses new gas exports subject to environmental approvals, some of her colleagues privately complained about the focus on her remarks in the media.
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