Coalition divisions erupt as more MPs urge leader to dump climate pledge

3 hours ago 1

Two more Coalition MPs have urged Opposition Leader Sussan Ley to dump support for Australia’s pledge to reach net zero emissions by 2050, following frontbencher Andrew Hastie’s ultimatum on Monday night that he would quit the front bench if she backed the climate target.

South Australian Liberal MP Tony Pasin and Queensland Nationals senator Matt Canavan – both long opposed to the Coalition’s net zero commitment – told this masthead they backed Hastie’s demands that the Coalition dump the target and warned escalating tensions within the opposition have to be addressed by Ley as soon as possible.

Opposition home affairs spokesman Andrew Hastie.

Ley ordered a review of the Coalition’s climate policies after the last election, being led by opposition energy spokesman Dan Tehan. But as the government prepares to announce Australia’s interim 20235 emissions reduction target on Thursday, the divisions within the opposition have exploded into public view again.

Hastie, who is seen by the right faction as a potential party leader, warned on Monday evening that he could quit the frontbench or be sacked over net zero, telling ABC local radio in Perth that if Ley retained the net zero policy “that leaves me without a job”.

“My primary mission in politics is to build a stronger, more secure, more competitive Australia. Energy security is a vital input into that, so that’s my bottom line,” he told ABC Radio.

“I’ve nailed my colours to the mast.”

Hastie conceded that Ley had no choice but to sack his factional ally, Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, after she refused to back the opposition leader when asked at a press conference.

He confirmed he was prepared to quit his home affairs portfolio and move to the backbench if Ley didn’t walk away from net zero.

The WA MP’s opposition to climate targets is well known, but the timing of his comments has been read by moderate Liberals as a deliberate provocation, coming just days after Ley sacked Price for disloyalty.

Tasmanian senator Jonathon Duniam, a factional ally, fellow member of shadow cabinet and close friend of Hastie, went further on Tuesday and said more shadow ministers could resign if the Coalition pursued climate action at “any cost”.

“If we just said net zero at any cost by 2050, I think you’d find there’d be a mass exodus [of frontbenchers and MPs],” the opposition education spokesman told Sky News.

Pasin, another conservative ally of Hastie’s, said that he was “against net zero because of the harm it will do to the economy”.

“Even if you accept the need to address climate change and if you accept 9 billion humans are contributing to it, which seems likely, I don’t see the merit in closing steel mills in Australia [to reduce emissions] and opening them in China or the US,” Pasin said.

Asked about Hastie’s future on the frontbench, Pasin said: “Andrew is a colleague of strong principles and high morals. He will make the decision he thinks is appropriate in the circumstances.”

Canavan, who as a member of the Nationals does not vote in Liberal leadership contests, said that Ley “absolutely can stay as leader of the opposition, I hope she does well”.

“I have always thought the way we get back to government is with the right policies, that’s more important than who the leader is,” Canavan said.

Asked if it was possible the Liberal Party could split over the policy, creating a new party – an option some conservative Liberals have discussed in recent months – Canavan said that no one had suggested that to him “and I don’t think it’s on the cards”.

“The more likely outcome is the Liberals and Nationals will dump net zero, it’s never been a natural fit, the state branches have rejected it, and there is now no viable election-winning strategy while we keep net zero.

“I have always said the way we should resolve this in the party room. There is enough smart people in the room to make a considered judgement on net zero.”

The Victorian Liberals are the latest state branch to call on Ley to ditch that commitment, following the Queensland, West Australian and South Australian branches.

Canavan’s view that a party split was not on the cards was backed by another conservative MP, who asked not to be named so they could discuss internal party matters, and who said that “there is no appetite for a leadership change right now, the sense I get is from my colleagues on the Right [faction] is that we hope Sussan does better”.

“There is a much higher chance that Sussan becomes an arch pragmatist on net zero to save her own leadership. She needs an elegant dismount, otherwise she can’t remain leader of the Coalition.”

Moderate Liberals are furious with Hastie for triggering another round of public debate about Coalition unity.

Some moderates in the party room, who asked not to be named so they could discuss internal matters, conceded that the Liberals’ climate policy review must be finalised much sooner than the original timeline.

“There are a million ways to get to net zero,” one MP said.

“The idea of being against the whole thing [net zero] doesn’t make sense politically, economically and environmentally. I had thought we [moderates] could probably go to him [Hastie] if things went really badly for Sussan, but not if he is going to do that.”

“Sensible [conservatives] are supporting Sussan - people like Chandler, Paterson and Duniam [three prominent young conservative senators and frontbenchers].”

“It won’t be a big deal if Hastie goes to the backbench. If he wants to destroy his career, he can.”

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.