Senator Hollie Hughes says climate change a ‘luxury issue’ for voters

The Coalition is struggling to piece together a cohesive climate change policy agenda, with one senator calling it a “luxury issue”.

The Coalition’s second most senior climate change spokesperson says it became a “luxury issue” for voters in the lead-up to the election and rising cost-of-living will “put things back in perspective”.

Senator Hollie Hughes, who was on the weekend appointed opposition assistant climate change spokespeswoman, also said she did not support any extension of her party’s carbon emission reduction targets.

“I’m not personally in favour of us extending the target … because Australia is 1.3 per cent of the entire global emissions,” she told ABC News.

“We could shut everything down tomorrow and all go live in trees.”

NSW senator Hollie Hughes says she is not in favour of the Coalition extending its emissions reduction target. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Her comments are at odds with those of foreign affairs spokesperson Simon Birmingham, who said the Coalition should commit to more ambitious targets.

“Of course we should commit to being able to go further,” he said the day after the Coalition suffered a wipe-out at the hands of climate-focused independents.

The Coalition took its 26-28 per cent target to the election, while Labor took a 43 per cent target.

Senator Hughes said while climate change had been a big focus for a lot of voters, including those in the once Liberal-held seats that fell to “teal” independents, turning away from the Coalition would prove not to be the answer.

Senator Hughes also said climate change had become a ‘luxury issue’ for voters. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

“I think climate change was something that a lot of voters were focused on, but I think what’s going to happen as you move forward, and people start to get inflationary pressures, start to see their mortgage rates increase, they start to see this increased spending by this new Labor government that’s going to put pressure on our AAA credit rating,” she said.

“Which does flow through the economy. And when you look at increased power prices, some of those issues that were looked at as … almost like a luxury issue for some people.

“Because people of Wentworth probably aren’t going to the petrol bowser and looking at those numbers tick over, whereas people out in Cabramatta are very much looking at those numbers.

“Those cost-of-living pressures are going to have a very significant impact on voters’ intentions, I think, going forward.”

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says he’s interested in having a conversation about nuclear energy. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Tracey Nearmy

On Monday morning, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said he “wasn’t afraid” to talk about Australia adopting nuclear power technology.

His newly minted climate change spokesperson Ted O’Brien is an advocate of nuclear power.

“He had a particular focus on the latest generation, the small modular nuclear generation which can power up to 100,000 houses,” Mr Dutton told ABC Radio.

“I’m not afraid to have a discussion on nuclear. If we want to have a legitimate emissions reduction … that’s exactly the path President Macron has embarked on in France, what Prime Minister Johnson is talking about in the United Kingdom.

“I don’t think we should be afraid to talk about any technology that’s going to have the ability to reduce emissions and electricity prices.

“I don’t think we should rule things out simply because it’s unfashionable to talk about them.”