Liberals senator Hollie Hughes in fiery clash with Greens David Shoebridge on energy policy

A Liberal and Greens senator have traded insults as they clashed over energy policy during an appearance on Q+A.

A heated debate over Australia’s path to net zero has erupted on ABC’s Q&A program, with a Liberal and Greens senator throwing accusations including the use of “Trumpian talking points” and supporting “human slavery”.

Glenn Gibson of NSW asked the panellists if the climate wars were over or if they had just begun, as Matt Canavan – who vehemently campaigned to drop the zero target – lost his bid to oust David Littleproud as the leader of the Nationals party.

Outgoing Liberal Senator Hollie Hughes said the Coalition should have a “really hard look” at what the cost of maintaining the net zero policy would be.

Greens Senator David Shoebridge said that he believes that the best energy source for Australia is renewables on Q&A

She reiterated her claim that the Greens are “unicorn farmers” with “very little knowledge of how the country works”.

“David (Shoebridge) wants to talk about building a future. What are we going to build it with? You need steel and wood to build houses,” Senator Hughes said.

“If we’re going to shut down all our industry to produce those materials, we won’t be building very many houses.”

In response, Senator Shoebridge said he believed the best energy source for Australia was renewables.

“I’m on board with cheap power and we know because everyone with credentials in the space tells you what cheap power is: its renewables. It’s wind and solar,” he said.

“If we keep opening up coal and gas mines, it’s like ripping the solar panels off the roof.”

Calling out that the production of solar panels has been linked to forced labour camps in Uyghur communities in China, Senator Hughes accused the Greens of supporting human slavery.

Outgoing Liberal Senator Hollie Hughes said that the Coalition should have a “really hard look” at what the cost of maintaining the net zero policy would be on Q&A

“I never thought I’d hear the Greens support human slavery because it’s the Uyghurs that are making solar panels in China,” she said.

Senator Shoebridge hit back, accusing her of using “Trumpian talking points” to forward the fossil fuel industry.

“Anything you can put, anything you can put to destroy renewable energy and give the fossil fuel industry another sad, tragic decade.”

Senator Shoebridge did not deny that forced labour did exist in the renewable energy industry, but denied that it was “the overwhelming element of the supply chain”.

The Liberal Party will announce its new leader on Tuesday, after Peter Dutton lost his seat in Dickson NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Although Senator Canavan lost his bid to lead the Nationals, change to the party’s position on net zero may still be possible.

Amid reports that MPs are pushing for the party to drop the target, Mr Littleproud has not publicly declared what his position on the policy is and has left the door open to change.

The decision could lead to challenges for the new leader of the Liberals, who will be decided on Tuesday.

Deputy Leader Sussan Ley and shadow treasurer Angus Taylor will battle it out on Tuesday morning when the much reduced Liberals party room meets in Canberra.

Originally published as Liberals senator Hollie Hughes in fiery clash with Greens David Shoebridge on energy policy