Coalition climate wars: Andrew Laming speaks out after Jim Molan comments

The ‘climate wars’ have broken out in the first Coalition partyroom meeting of the year.

Jim Molan appears on the ABC's Q&A on Monday night.

The “climate wars” have broken out in the first Coalition partyroom meeting of the year, with Liberal National MP Andrew Laming taking aim at colleagues who publicly question the science behind global warming.

Mr Laming spoke out after NSW senator Jim Molan on Monday night declared he was not sure whether humans had contributed to climate change.

Mr Laming denied his observations were aimed at Senator Molan, after being confronted by the former army general in the meeting on Tuesday.

Liberals say Mr Laming did not single anyone out and MPs also interpreted it as a criticism of outspoken backbencher Craig Kelly.

One Liberal did interpret the comments as an attack on Senator Molan, given Mr Laming urged MPs not to question expert scientific advice the same way they would not question the expertise of defence personnel during an armed conflict.

The comments paved the way for a climate debate in the joint partyroom meeting, with Nationals members arguing against ­overly ambitious action because of the bushfires.

Barnaby Joyce said people were using the bushfires and drought to push their “hobby horse issues”, including action on climate change. Nationals senator Matt Canavan, who quit as resources minister on Monday night, said the Coalition should retain its electoral advantage by standing up for jobs in traditional industries.

Liberal National MP Andrew Laming. Picture: Annette Dew

“He said that he believed that our parties have become the parties of workers in coalmines, workers in shipyards, workers in factories, that we represent those people by fighting for their jobs and defending their jobs,” a government spokesman said.

Nationals MP George Christensen talked up the need for a new coal-fired power station in central Queensland. He said the government’s support of coal and cheap energy was the reason it won ­nearly every seat in central and north Queensland at the last election, and changing tack on climate policy could alienate regional ­voters.

Liberals Katie Allen, Fiona Martin, Tim Wilson and Trent Zimmerman said the Coalition would lose city seats if they did not take climate change seriously.

Mr Zimmerman said climate change cost the Liberals Tony ­Abbott’s old seat of Warringah at the last election and more affluent seats would fall unless the issue was addressed.