Nat Zero: Junior Coalition partner yet to be convinced on low emissions plan

With less than four weeks until the global climate summit in Glasgow, National party figures say they have yet to see a net zero emissions plan and want to be assured it won’t hurt regional Australia.

Senior National party figures say they are yet to be convinced net zero emissions won’t hurt regional Australia and they have yet to see a plan, with less than four weeks to go until the global climate summit in Glasgow.

Deputy Nationals leader and Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said the junior coalition partner had yet to be presented with any plan from the Prime Minister and reserved to right to “make remedies” if needed to ensure regional parts of the country were not disadvantaged.

The Morrison Government is facing increased pressure to announce a plan on how it will reach a net zero emissions target by 2050, with details expected to be announced before the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow starting October 31.

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Mr Littleproud said he took comfort from assurances from Scott Morrison that any plan would not be based on taxes, but the regional Australians and industries needed to see the details.

“If there’s an opportunity for them to be rewarded, then they can and should,” he said.

“We will work through (any plan) as a party room, determine the scope of what it looks like and how they’re proposing to get there and what that looks like for the regions.
“We will see if there’s any remedy required.”

He said despite the “self loathing” about climate action in Australia, the nation had met the Kyoto emissions reduction targets and was on track to meet those set at the Paris climate summit in 2015.

Emergency Management Minister Bridget McKenzie regional Australia, industries and the poorest people in the nation would “pay the price for a low emissions future” and the Nationals needed to be assured of the consequences of any policy.

Emergency Management Minister Bridget McKenzie. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

“I’m yet to be convinced … I do accept the science, I do want to tread lightly on this earth. But to then conflate that view of the world with a willingness to hang my people that sent me here and our industries out to dry is completely incorrect,” she told Sky News.

She said she could not confirm speculation that there was a medium-term target being discussed between Mr Morrison and Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce.
“I can’t confirm that at all. Haven’t seen a thing. We’re less than four weeks from Glasgow,” she said.

One of the Coalition’s most outspoken critics of net zero Senator Matt Canavan has continued to push back against any move toward the policy, making it clear his stance won’t change.

Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor announced last week a cash-for-carbon scheme that would reward energy intensive businesses for capturing emissions and storing them away.