Extraordinary claim that night-time sport could be at risk if Labor wins federal election

Australians have been told night-time footy and cricket could soon be scrapped in an extraordinary warning ahead of the election.

Night-time sport could soon be scrapped, if you believe Australia’s deputy prime minister.

Nationals leader Michael McCormack issued an extraordinary warning yesterday as he slammed Bill Shorten’s proposed 45 per cent renewable energy target.

“The bloke’s living in fairyland. I mean, you can’t do that. You can’t do that at the moment, I mean it’s just not possible. He’s nuts,” Mr McCormack said.

“I mean sure, go down that path. But forget night footy. Forget night cricket. You’ll have pensioners turning off their power because they won’t be able to afford it, and they’ll be shivering all winter and they’ll be melting all summer.”

Night-time sport is apparently at risk now.

No, really.

The idea that an election win for Labor would mean the end of sport under lights is, shall we say, an outlandish one. Night-time games are not only a staple for fans, but a lucrative source of viewers and money for broadcasters.

But Mr McCormack is under pressure from within his own party to fight harder on energy policy — particularly with the man he replaced, Barnaby Joyce, openly contemplating a return to the leadership.

This morning Mr Joyce told Radio National he would have “no guilt” about standing to be leader again if a spill were called.

“I am the elected deputy prime minister of Australia,” he said.

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Mr Joyce was indeed Australia’s elected deputy prime minister in the wake of the 2016 election, but was forced to resign when the public learned of his affair with former staffer Vikki Campion.

It also turned out he was ineligible to sit in parliament, due to his New Zealand citizenship.

Now he is pushing Scott Morrison — and by extension, Mr McCormack — to promise government support for a new coal-fired power station in central Queensland.

“People want affordable power. We have to get energy back, dignity back into people’s lives,” Mr Joyce told Sunrise this morning.

Mr Joyce is not alone. Other Queenslanders in the Nationals’ party room also want taxpayer support for a coal-fired plant, and there is a risk the issue could be used to undermine Mr McCormack.

The leader was noncommittal when he was asked about the idea yesterday.

“I’m not against coal-fired power stations. I’m not,” he said.

Mr McCormack said he would look at building another coal-fired plant “if the business case stacks up”.

“If it meets the business case and it’s going to provide more energy in the system and it’s going to bring prices down, of course I am in favour of that. Of course I am.”

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack. Picture: AAP

Barnaby Joyce. Picture: Kym Smith

The Nationals’ coalition partners are certainly not keen.

If the government were to support a new coal-fired plant, it would risk alienating voters in Liberal-held seats across the southern states, many of whom already want stronger action to combat climate change.

The issue has already hurt Mr Morrison.

Julia Banks cited climate change as one reason she quit the Liberals and moved to the crossbench.

It was a central plank of Kerryn Phelps’ successful campaign in the Wentworth by-election.

And Tony Abbott’s independent challenger in Warringah, Zali Steggall, has hammered him on the issue, prompting him to abandon his push for Australia to withdraw from the Paris agreement.

Mr Morrison is reassuring voters worried about climate change the government will reach its 2030 emissions reduction targets “in a canter”.

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Today Mr Joyce said the Nationals “are not married to the Liberal Party”.

“If we’re going to agree with everything they say, we should join the Liberal Party,” he said.

The prime minister said he would not be distracted by the “nonsense” leadership speculation within the Nationals.

“We have a fantastic leader of the National Party and deputy prime minister in Michael McCormack and there will be no change to that,” Mr Morrison said.

The six Queensland National MPs backing calls for a new coal-fired power plant are also pressuring the government to put its so-called “big stick” energy policy to a vote during budget week at the start of April.

The government shelved the legislation during the year’s first parliamentary sitting, and indicated it would not be voted on until after the election.

Coincidentally, newly published analysis from the Australian National University has found Nationals MPs represent five of the six electorates with the highest projected rise in average maximum temperatures due to climate change.

Those MPs are Mr Jocyce, David Littleproud, Mark Coulton, Andrew Gee and Ken O’Dowd.

“It is disappointing that many of the federal electorates found to have the highest projected increases in average maximum temperatures are represented by MPs who do little to champion climate action, or worse, deny established science,” said the Australian Conservation Foundation’s CEO Kelly O’Shanassy.

“Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack and former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce in particular would do well to stop dismissing established climate science and get on with better representing their communities.”