Sussan Ley’s emissions target: not a lot of (net) zeroes

Sussan Ley has declared she will not pursue a net-zero emissions target at ‘any cost’ as she faces a backbench push to go to the next election with a vow to pull out of the Paris climate agreement.

Liberal leader Sussan Ley and Nationals leader David Littleproud.

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Sussan Ley has declared she will not pursue a net-zero emissions target at “any cost” as she faces a ­backbench push to go to the next election with a vow to pull out of the Paris climate ­agreement.

The new Opposition Leader on Tuesday unveiled a shadow cabinet that promoted factional supporters and dumped prominent women who opposed her leadership, hours after signing a new Coalition agreement with the Nationals that ended almost a week of internal warfare.

Ms Ley denied her frontbench was used to get square at her ­internal rivals, after former frontbenchers Jane Hume, Sarah ­Henderson and Claire Chandler were relegated to the backbench while Jacinta Nampijinpa Price was demoted to the outer ministry in the defence industry portfolio.

The ousted women made way for men who backed Ms Ley for the leadership, including ­factional heavyweights Alex Hawke, James McGrath and ­Andrew Bragg, with the number of women in shadow cabinet dropping from 11 to eight.

With Liberal and Nationals backbenchers set to begin a ­campaign for the Coalition to drop its commitment to net zero by 2050, Ms Ley appointed conservative MP Dan Tehan as the spokesman for energy and emissions reduction.

With Mr Tehan’s title replacing the words “climate change” with “emissions reductions”, Ms Ley left the door open to going to the next election, due by 2028, opposing net zero.

“Australia does have to play its part in the global response to climate change but not at any cost,” Ms Ley said.

“We will make sure we reflect everyone’s voice and the very real concerns that I know many ­Australians have, which is that you can’t have an energy policy that crashes our energy grid.

“You have to recognise the great manufacturing base of this country and it’s built on reliable, secure, base load power.”

Conservative Liberal MPs have told The Australian they will campaign against net zero, while Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce, who returns to the backbench, said he would be unshackled on the issue.

“Net zero is a disaster for the defence of our nation because it precludes our capacity to produce fuel manufacturing,” Mr Joyce told The Australian. “It is a ­disaster for the economy of our nation. It is a disaster for the ­environment of our nation ­because we have intermittent power precincts and solar panels over literally tens of thousands of hectares of country.

“And most importantly, it is a disaster for poor people because they can’t afford their power bills.”

One senior member of shadow cabinet said net zero was ­“definitely on the chopping block”.

But moderate Liberal MPs are preparing to fight against the push to downgrade climate, with the issue threatening to send the ­Coalition into a protracted civil war and hinder the Liberal Party’s chances of regaining former heartland seats that have been lost to teal independents.

“It’s a very dangerous debate for us to be having. Tell me a seat we would have won if we had dropped net zero,” a Liberal MP said. “Sussan (Ley) and David (Littleproud) are on the same page but the question is what capacity do they have to control their people? Especially David.”

Mr Tehan said Energy and Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen’s renewables-only agenda was “driving up bills”.

“Minister Bowen’s approach is ideologically driven, out of touch and arrogant,” Mr Tehan said.

With Coalition MPs preparing to fight for the future direction of the opposition, Senator Chandler rejected an offer to take a shadow assistant ministry role while Queensland MP Garth Hamilton knocked back a deputy whip position so they could be outspoken on issues.

Incoming Goldstein MP Tim Wilson was parachuted straight into shadow cabinet in the industrial relations, employment and small business portfolios, while ­Indigenous voice supporter Julian Leeser is back on the frontbench as legal affairs spokesman and South Australian senator Kerrynne Liddle will oversee Indigenous affairs.

Mr Taylor will become the ­Coalition’s defence spokesman while other conservatives in senior roles include James Paterson in finance, Michaelia Cash in foreign affairs and Andrew Hastie in home affairs.

Supporters of Senator Hume described her demotion as based on “jealousy” and personal enmity, with the Victorian senator and Ms Ley often at odds during the Dutton era.

Sources close to Ms Ley are claiming Senator Hume supported her in the leadership contest in line with the rest of the moderate faction, but this is not correct.

Jane Hume has lost her frontbench position. Picture: Monique Harmer / NewsWire

NT senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price at the CLP after-party at the Alice Springs Brewing Co on the day of the federal election this month. Picture: Gera Kazakov

Senator Henderson said it was regrettable “a number of high-­performing Liberal women” had been overlooked or demoted in the new ministry.

On top of the demotion of ­several of Ms Ley’s detractors out of the ministry altogether, ­conservatives also pointed to the fact Senator Paterson had been ­removed from the leadership team. Ms Ley appointed Queensland backer Andrew Wallace as ­shadow cabinet secretary in his place.

Ms Ley’s key factional backer Mr Hawke, meanwhile, was brought into the leadership group as manager of opposition business on top of holding the industry portfolio. Senator Bragg, a leading NSW moderate, was promoted into the powerful expenditure ­review ­committee on top of ­holding the portfolios of housing, homelessness, productivity and deregulation.

Several Liberal sources said it was clear Ms Ley was dishing out “retribution” to those who were a threat or had opposed her.

Other supporters of Ms Ley who were promoted into the ministry included Melissa Price, Paul Scarr and Scott Buchholz.

Internal criticism was also levelled at Ms Ley for agreeing to include Nationals MP Pat Conaghan in the economics team.

Mr Littleproud, the Nationals leader, claimed the appointment as a clear win for his party, which had been lobbying for a greater say in the Coalition’s economic policy as part of negotiations.

Liberals said the move was “dangerous” as it rewarded the Nationals for their poor behaviour and decision to split from the ­Coalition when their demands were not initially met.

“This will just encourage them,” one Liberal source said.

The Nationals secured six out of 23 cabinet positions, with Mr Littleproud dumping former leaders Mr Joyce and Michael McCormack while promoting NSW senator Ross Cadell and Victorian MP Darren Chester.

The shadow ministry was unveiled after the Nationals partyroom on Wednesday morning endorsed a new Coalition agreement, which included a commitment to lift the ban on nuclear ­energy.

Despite the Coalition breaking up for 48 hours last week and ­Liberals furious with the conduct of Mr Littleproud, Ms Ley denied there was any bitterness between the parties.

“Personally, David and I will be friends,” the Opposition Leader said on Wednesday.

“I think a woman who got her start in the shearing sheds of ­western Queensland can always find something to talk about over a steak and a beer.

“We will, 100 per cent, take this forward together.

“We will be stronger together, better together, and we can’t wait to do this on behalf of the Australian people.”