Nationals rail against renewables despite Ley declaring climate wars over

The Nationals are urging their Coalition partner to take a hard line against the renewables rollout, calling into question Liberal leader Sussan Ley’s pledge to end the climate wars as Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen accused the Coalition of fuelling the fight over energy policy.

Liberal leader Sussan Ley declared, in her first address to the media on Tuesday, that “there won’t be a climate war” but Nationals senator Matt Canavan told this masthead that his tilt at the junior Coalition partner’s leadership had “mortally wounded” the net zero policy.

At odds: Energy and Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen, Liberal leader Sussan Ley and Nationals senator Matt Canavan.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

When asked whether her party would remain committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and retain its nuclear energy policy, Ley said there would be “no captain’s calls”.

Former opposition leader Peter Dutton took a net zero commitment to the election, but Ley and Nationals leader David Littleproud have confirmed the policy is currently under review.

Ley said Australia must reduce its greenhouse emissions but warned poor energy policy could “crash” the energy grid and “cripple” manufacturing.

“We have to get energy policy as a whole right, but we have to recognise that we need a strong country and that includes a commitment to a manufacturing base that relies on cheap, reliable energy,” she said.

Bowen on Tuesday seized on Ley’s comments, rubbishing her commitment to end climate wars.

“If you’re going to review net zero, I’m sorry, but you’re keeping the climate wars going,” Bowen said.

“Net zero by 2050 is not a policy, it’s the bare minimum framework you have to work under. And if Sussan Ley’s saying that’s up for review, she might as well say the sun coming up tomorrow is up for review.”

The Albanese government has set a legally binding target to cut greenhouse gas emissions 43 per cent by 2030 and to reach net zero by 2050, with the bulk of cuts coming from a massive rollout of renewable energy.

Bowen’s comments followed Nationals senator Canavan’s claim that the net zero goal is a significant threat to Australia and would create a national catastrophe in switching the electricity grid from fossil fuels to renewables.

Canavan, who unsuccessfully challenged Littleproud’s leadership on Monday, said putting the net zero policy on the table had been worth the loss: “I lost the battle, but net zero is mortally wounded, so mission accomplished”.

In a letter to The Australian Financial Review last week, Canavan said mining and manufacturing will cop “crippling carbon taxes” under net zero goals.

“These losses do not just harm our economic security, they also hurt our food and national security,” he wrote.

Riverina MP and former Nationals leader Michael McCormack said he would not pre-empt his party’s decision on net zero, but warned that the damaging impacts of the renewables rollout weighed heavily on rural communities.

“I am very concerned that this proliferation of renewables is ruining the country landscape,” McCormack said.

On Tuesday, he attended a community meeting at Crookwell, in NSW’s Southern Tablelands, where more than 100 residents gathered to discuss the impacts of a proposed wind farm on agricultural land and property prices.

“What are the capital cities doing to carry their load of this push to get net zero?” McCormack asked.

Littleproud’s office was contacted for comment.

Meanwhile, the Albanese government is bidding to host next year’s COP31 summit, the next round of global climate talks, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has nominated Adelaide as host city. Turkey is also bidding to host the summit.

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