The Albanese government has moved to deepen internal Coalition divisions on climate policy by allowing debate on a private member's bill introduced by Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce that would repeal several climate-related laws. The bill, introduced in July, is not expected to be put to a vote today, but several of Joyce's colleagues are anticipated to speak in support of it or vote in favour when the opportunity arises.
The move follows the Queensland Liberal National Party conference over the weekend, where National Party leader David Littleproud was part of an overwhelming vote to abandon the party's commitment to net zero emissions by 2050. LNP members Scott Buccholz, James McGrath, and Premier David Crisafulli reportedly abstained from the vote. Queensland is the latest state branch to join a revolt against net zero, following similar moves in New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory.
Joyce, who as former Nationals leader committed the Coalition to net zero alongside former prime minister Scott Morrison, argued that an open debate on the costs of achieving net zero is necessary. 'It's incredibly important that the Australian people get some sort of transparency on an industry that has been mired in secrecy,' Joyce told the ABC. He questioned why people feel guilty about asking serious questions regarding the taxpayer burden of underwriting wealthy individuals.
The government has pointed to the CSIRO's GenCost report, which found that renewables are the cheapest energy technology even after accounting for transmission costs. However, several Coalition MPs have expressed concern over the cost of achieving net zero by 2050, particularly regarding the government's Capacity Investment Scheme, which they say obscures the true cost of the renewables transition. Under the scheme, renewables proponents bid on floor and ceiling prices for electricity generation, with the government arguing that costs are commercial-in-confidence to secure competitive prices.
The Liberals and Nationals are conducting internal reviews into their energy policies, led by Liberal MP Dan Tehan and Nationals senator Matt Canavan respectively. The reviews will consider whether to keep the net zero commitment, push back the 2050 deadline, exempt certain hard-to-abate sectors, and determine the role of nuclear power. Nationals senator Matt Canavan rejected the idea of pushing back the deadline to 2060, likening it to 'still planning to die, just slower.' Joyce compared the reviews to 'having an inquiry into whether you should chop off your arm.'
The debate on net zero is expected to be one of the most consequential for the Coalition this term and a test of Opposition Leader Sussan Ley's leadership. Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie recently expressed scepticism about reaching net zero by 2050, stating on a podcast that 'power bills are rising because the cost of this transition.'
