PM slaps down Barnaby Joyce claim Nationals secured methane exemption in net zero plan

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has slapped down Barnaby Joyce for suggesting the National party secured an exemption for methane in the newly minted net zero agreement.

Unity between the Liberal and National parties over the net zero agreement has already been shaken just days after the deal was reached.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has slapped down Barnaby Joyce for suggesting the National party secured an exemption for methane in the net zero agreement, saying it was “never part of the plan”.

The comment from Mr Joyce had angered some Liberal MPs internally.

Mr Morrison, asked about Mr Joyce’s comments that the National Party secured an exemption for a 30 per cent reduction in methane by 2030 as part of the deal, said: “We never had any plans to sign up to that”.

“Under our plan we won’t be putting any mandates on farmers, we won’t be targeting them in any way,” Mr Morrison said.

“Agriculture is better off under the plan, you’re better off part of the plan.

“They will continue to play a positive role and a role that benefits them and their productivity and their opportunities and lifts the incomes and economies of our regional areas.”

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce says the National party secured a carve out to ensure methane emissions were not included in the net zero deal. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gary Ramage

Mr Morrison said not signing up to the 30 per cent methane reduction by 2030 target was a bipartisan position.

Earlier today, Mr Joyce told The Courier-Mail farmers would have been forced to “grab a rifle, go out and start shooting your cattle” without the National party securing an exemption from methane being included in Australia’s net zero plan.

Mr Joyce also said his party secured additional financing for regional grants programs, but would not give further details, saying it remained cabinet-in-confidence for now.

It followed Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia refuse a US and European-backed pledge for a 30 per cent cut in methane emissions by the end of the decade at next week’s Glasgow summit.

Mr Joyce said part of the deal for the National party to sign up to the net zero emissions by 2050 commitment was for methane to be excluded.

“The only way you can get your 30 per cent by 2030 reduction in methane on 2020 levels, would be to go and grab a rifle, go out and start shooting your cattle because it’s just not possible,” he said.

“There is not the seaweed about, there’s not the genetics about, it’s just not there at the moment.

“I say to the people of Central Queensland and the dairy farmers in Bega and the cattle producers in Western Queensland … if we’d stood aside from the process we would have opened ourselves up for issues such as this.”

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce says farmers would be forced to shoot cattle without an exemption for methane on the net zero deal. Picture: Allan Reinikka

Mr Joyce said excluding methane from the agreement was “absolutely” in the demands from the National party, saying it had not been clear otherwise.

“We went into a place where it wasn’t as clear and we made sure, absolutely, absolutely affirmed that that would be the case,” he said.

Expanding financing with the Regional Investment Corporation, which offers loans to farmers and farming businesses, was another agreement secured, Mr Joyce said.

But he would not go into further details, saying it was cabinet-in-confidence still.

“Methane emissions, as part of this process, will not be legislated or pushed forward in any way, shape or form,” he said.

“If people choose of their own volition to go down that path, that’s good, but there is no methane-like tax, methane-like licence, methane-like requirement.”

Mr Joyce will be acting Prime Minister from Thursday night when Mr Morrison jets off to attend the G20 and COP26 summits.

Originally published as PM slaps down Barnaby Joyce claim Nationals secured methane exemption in net zero plan