Nationals face ongoing political turmoil following failed leadership spill
The Nationals face ongoing political turmoil with a maverick MP accusing the party of arranging a meeting to coincide with the Melbourne Cup. It comes after disgruntled MPs embarrassed the coalition in parliament.
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Queenslander Llew O’Brien has accused the National Party of holding a partyroom meeting in Victoria to coincide with last year’s Melbourne Cup, despite his objections.
Mr O’Brien quit the Nationals on Sunday but remains a member of the LNP and was made deputy speaker of the House of Representatives on Monday.
The Wide Bay MP is a supporter of Barnaby Joyce, who failed to topple Michael McCormack in a leadership battle last week.
Mr O’Brien told The Australian he received a negative response from some Nationals MPs for objecting to last year’s meeting, held 90 minutes from Melbourne on Friday, November 1.
“I raised strong objections to that. It was a party meeting that ended when a race was on in Melbourne,” he told the newspaper.
“I wasn’t comfortable with that and I raised it with both the leadership and the partyroom.”
Mr O’Brien said there were certain “glaringly obvious” things that shouldn’t be done.“
And going to a sporting event or organising a meeting to coincide with another event that is not covered by your travel entitlements is one of those things,” he said.
“It was only after my protests that the people going there paid part of their own way.
“And I would say that a response from certain party (MPs) in relation to that was quite negative towards me, and inappropriate.”
Mr McCormack’s spokesman told The Australian that advice had been sought from the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority about making sure taxpayers weren’t charged for MPs staying in Melbourne for the weekend.
He said the Nationals met in electorates around the country, as was the case with the planning day on November 1
SHOCK AS ROGUE NATS BACK MAVERICK FOR KEY ROLE
There was open rebellion on the floor of parliament on Monday, with up to five Coalition MPs voting against their own government’s nomination for a key position – in favour on maverick Llew O’Brien.
Labor nominated Mr O’Brien for deputy speaker, who shocked his colleagues by accepting the nod, against the Coalition’s pick Damian Drum.
He won the vote with up to five government MPs voting for him against their own nomination, demonstrating the deep unhappiness still within the Nationals party room after last week’s spill.
Mr O’Brien, a little-known MP, told Prime Minister Scott Morrison of his decision to quit on Sunday night.
In Queensland, the Liberal and National parties are merged unlike any other state or territory.
Mr O’Brien will still be a member of the coalition, but will not attend National Party meetings.
“I will remain a government member,” he told AAP on Monday.
“I joined the LNP at its inception and I remain a member of the LNP.
“I support the government and I support Prime Minister Scott Morrison, and every decision I make in Canberra will continue to be in the best interests of Wide Bay.”
Mr O’Brien triggered the spill required for Mr Joyce to contest the Nationals leadership last week, with Mr McCormack retaining his position.
Mr Joyce lamented his colleague’s departure, but said it was for Mr O’Brien to explain his decision.
TURNBULL: ‘IT’S NUTS’
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull said it’s “nuts” for the Morrison government to consider backing coal-fired power.
Mr Turnbull was in Canberra on Monday as a guest at a speech to parliament by Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who described climate change as a threat to the region.
The Morrison government is putting $4 million into a feasibility study for a coal-fired power station in north Queensland.
Mr Turnbull said it was no longer a contentious argument to move towards renewable energy generation and storage, and there was no economic basis for building another coal-fired power station.
“Those people who are advocating that the government should fund coal-fired power are basically making a case for higher emissions and higher energy prices, and that is nuts,” Mr Turnbull said.
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said coal still had a future in Australia but renewable energy supplies would continue to grow.
“We’re assessing what is both environmentally appropriate and economically responsible,” Senator Cormann said.
“We will continue to make our judgments based on Australia’s national interests.”
Nationals MP Michelle Landry said Australia needed cheap, reliable power for the manufacturing sector.
“That’s what this (government strategy) is about,” Ms Landry told reporters.
“What does annoy me is that there are people in Melbourne who are dead against coal, but where does the power come from?.”
Inner-city Liberals are agitating for more government action on climate change.
But former resources minister Matt Canavan is ramping up calls for a new coal-fired power station in Queensland, describing renewable energy as “dole bludgers”.
“Renewables are the dole bludgers of the energy system, they only turn up to work when they want to,” he wrote in an opinion piece in The Courier-Mail.
The debate within coalition circles comes as lower house crossbenchers throw their support behind an independent MP’s bill to curb emissions and re-establish a climate commission.
Warringah MP Zali Steggall’s bill also requires a plan for Australia to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
She hopes the bill will mark the end to Australia’s “climate wars” and has called on Liberal and Labor MPs to support it.
Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said Australia had already adopted a net zero emissions target by 2050 under the Paris Agreement.
“It’s crucial that we play our role in global efforts towards that ultimate target of net zero,” he told reporters.
Energy Minister Angus Taylor said the government expects to deliver its 2050 strategy before international climate talks in November in Scotland.
Ms Steggall’s bill would require the commission to prepare a public climate risk assessment every five years and provide annual progress reports.
The government would oversee a transition to a lower-carbon economy while setting an emissions budget.
Ms Steggall said she had already had “productive meetings” with Liberal and Labor MPs, and hoped party politics wouldn’t get in the way.
She was flanked by fellow lower house independents Andrew Wilkie, Helen Haines and the Centre Alliance’s Rebekha Sharkie, as well as health and agriculture advocates.
A net zero emissions target would see Australia balance its carbon books by reducing emissions and removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
‘ABSURD’: BARNABY RIPS INTO CLIMATE EXPERT
Barnaby Joyce has clashed with a climate expert in a fiery debate about bushfires, coal and climate change.
And it comes as Australia considers adopting a net zero emissions target by 2050, similar to the United Kingdom and dozens of other nations, ahead of a UN climate summit in November.
The Nationals MP and US climatologist Professor Michael Mann went head to head during a 60 Minutes panel discussion which included former fire chiefs.
Prof Mann said Australia faced even more devastating bushfires in the future unless the government acted on climate change.
But Mr Joyce quickly rejected the argument: “We’re not going to (put out fires) by having this incredible debate in Canberra”.
He said Prime Minister Scott Morrison thinks Australia “has got to do its part and is doing its part” to combat climate change and the fire threat.
That response provoked the ire of Prof Mann.
“In all fairness Barnaby, Scott Morrison and his government have played a destructive role in global negotiations to act on climate.
“(The Coalition) have literally dismissed the connection between climate change and these unprecedented bushfires that we’re experiencing.
“The scientific community has spoken authoritatively on this matter.”
When asked if he accepted that the fires have been driven by global warming, Mr Joyce admitted climate change had played a role.
“I can absolutely accept that we’ve had a massive change in the climate. That is not my argument. My argument is one of immediate efficacy,” he said.
“We’re going to put back into our fire breaks, we’re going to make sure we build central watering points so that no (fire) truck has to travel more than 20km.
“These are the things that I want to concentrate on.”
But Prof Mann argued politicians “can’t solve the problem if they refuse to accept the cause of the problem”.
Mr Joyce said Australia has complied with international agreements.
“No that’s not true,” Prof Mann fired back.
The outspoken MP then went on to discuss the economic benefits of coal exports.
“The money that comes from that – whether you like it or not – supports our hospitals, our schools, our defence force,” he said.
“(We aren’t going to) say to the Australian people ‘we’re going to get rid of that income stream and you’ve got to accept that this money is not going to turn up’.
“And I’ll tell you what happens in politics if you do that – you lose the election.”
That prompted this response from Prof Mann: “How about the hundreds of millions of dollars being lost in tourism, the damage that’s been done in these unprecedented bushfires?.
“The cost of climate inaction far outweighs the modest cost of taking action.”
But again, Joyce hit back. “Are you saying that if Australia changes its domestic policies then the climate will change?.
“This idea that Australia unilaterally will make a decision that is going to change the climate is absurd.”
Prof Mann said some world leaders are “basically sabotaging climate action for the entire planet”.
“You can count (these countries) on the fingers of your hand. It’s Saudi Arabia, it’s Russia, it’s the United States and Brazil. Does Australia want to be part of that family?”
But Mr Joyce said Australians will lose their “dignity” if coal exports stop and weaken Australia’s economy.
“If you want to sell this program, you have to say to (the Australian people) how you’re going to make their lives more affordable and put dignity back into their lives,” he said.
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Army General Major General Peter Dunn then jumped in with angry response.
“But what dignity have you got, Barnaby, when you are standing in the middle of rubble and saying ‘how on earth did this fire happen?’,” he said.
He said the “head of the serpent” fuelling bushfires is climate change.
“This country wants politicians to step up. It is the existential issue that the public have raised,” he said.
“It defeats me as to why you won’t step up to it. All (scientists) predictions have, damn it, turned out to be right.”
ZERO CARBON EMISSIONS TARGET ‘ABOUT EMOTION’
Liberal senator Eric Abetz says the prime minister should not commit to a net-zero emissions by 2050 emissions target.
It comes as the government considers a long-term emissions reduction strategy to take to the COP26 meeting in Scotland.
Mr Abetz said a long term target was based on the “emotion and not about the substance of the issue”.
“Trying to forecast to 2050 is 30 years in advance. If you were to wind the clock back 30 years and say ‘did men and women 30 years ago predict what is happening today?’ The answer is no,” Senator Abetz told Sky News.
“Similarly, trying the figure on 2050, why 2050 why not 2040 or 2060? That is all about I think the emotion and not about the substance of the issue.
“What we need to deal with is ensuring we have a sustainable energy supply while reducing our emissions as much as possible.”
Federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor said told Nine newspapers “development and deployment of new technologies” are key to reducing global emissions.
“That is where Australia can have the biggest impact on reducing global emissions,” he said.
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said coal still had a future in Australia but renewable energy supplies would continue to grow.
“We’re assessing what is both environmentally appropriate and economically responsible,” Senator Cormann said.
“We will continue to make our judgments based on Australia’s national interests.”
Nationals MP Michelle Landry said Australia needed cheap, reliable power for the manufacturing sector.
“That’s what this (strategy) is about,” Ms Landry told reporters.
“What does annoy me is that there are people in Melbourne who are dead against coal, but where does the power come from?”
Originally published as Nationals face ongoing political turmoil following failed leadership spill
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