Angus Taylor calls on Labor to endorse Fitzgibbon’s calls for consensus on emissions targets

Angus Taylor calls on Labor to back Joel Fitzgibbon’s consensus position on climate targets.

Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, Angus Taylor. Picture: Gary Ramage.

Energy minister Angus Taylor has called on Labor to endorse opposition resources spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon’s calls for a cross-party consensus on emission reductions targets.

Mr Taylor said Mr Fitzgibbon’s comments showed some in Labor had recognised the “error of its ways” after the party lost votes over climate policy at the May election.

The energy minister said the Morrison government’s target to reduce carbon emissions by 26-28 per cent of 2005 levels by 2030 was the “right policy” and would ensure reliable supply in the energy sector.

“We would love Labor to support our policies,” Mr Taylor said. “Labor went to the last election with a 45 per cent emissions reduction, which was going to slash jobs, slash wages and slash the economy. That was their policy and they are now clearly recognising the error of their ways.”

The Australian revealed on Wednesday Mr Fitzgibbon will use a speech at a Sydney Institute event to call on Labor to reach a “sensible settlement” on climate change and adopt the Morrison government’s 2030 emissions reduction target.

In his speech on Wednesday evening Mr Fitzgibbon will argue the policy shift would lift the party’s support in working-class and regional areas.

The leading NSW Right figure, who represents a coal electorate in the Hunter Valley, will on Wednesday night declare that Labor should match the higher end of Scott Morrison’s target to reduce carbon emissions.

Labor frontbencher Shayne Neumann backed Mr Fitzgibbon,, declaring the Hunter MP’s input was “important” to the party winning seats in Queensland.

Mr Neumann, who represents the southeast Queensland seat of Blair, said Labor would not win seats in Queensland unless it had “clear and decisive support” for the coal-mining industry.

“Unless you are seen to be supporting the mining industry you can’t win seats in Queensland,” Mr Neumann told The Australian.

“We can’t be equivocal. That was our problem at the last election. We looked like we were equivocal. We looked like we were saying one thing in Victoria and another in Queensland. We have got to have a consistent approach. If you expect to win seats in Queensland you have actually got to be decisive.

“We can take action on climate change but we need to be precise and definite about what the policy is and how it works.”

Mr Neumann said he had not read Mr Fitzgibbon’s prepared speech but it was important for the party that Mr Fitzgibbon was vocal about the issue.

“Joel’s contribution as the spokesperson on resources in urging a decisive position is important for the future campaign in Queensland,” he said.

Mr Neumann said there were 3500 coalminers in his electorate.

“You’ve got to engage with them and we didn’t,” he said.

A Labor Right MP also backed Mr Fitzgibbon’s call for the party to adopt the government’s emissions targets.

“Level headed people are quite happy the we are finally getting some common sense into the debate from Labor,” said the Labor MP, who did not want to be named.

But Mr Fitzgibbon’s Labor colleague, Peter Khalil, told Sky News on Wednesday he did not back the call and would await the outcome of Labor’s election policy review.

“We are in the middle of these conversations,” Mr Khalil said. “Joel is suggesting we have a 28 per cent target in reducing emissions by 2030.”

“Our current policy is 45 per cent. We might look at a target of 2035, or a more ambitious target of 2050. We don’t have the answers right now. We are in the middle of a policy discussion and a policy development, we have to look at the evidence.”

In a speech to industry experts in Sydney on Wednesday Mr Taylor will say he wants to see “like-for-like replacement” of coal and gas power plants that are closed across the country.

His address will put him at odds with the government’s top energy policy adviser, Kerry Schott, who will argue at the same event that extending the life of coal-fired power stations is ill-advised and will discourage investment.

Mr Taylor will argue the only realistic way to balance investment in renewable energy while retaining reliable energy is to maintain a mix of coal, gas and hydro generation.

He will also call on state and territory governments to remind industry more investment is needed in on-demand energy sources.

But Ms Schott, who heads the Energy Security Board, will tell the National Energy Summit it will be more difficult for coal plants to stay commercially viable as wind and solar energy project surge forward.

She will point to large-scale batteries, like one in South Australia, which could help maintain reliability.