Face up to emissions: Nats elder John Anderson says

Former deputy prime minister John Anderson says the ‘cattle are out of the yard’ on a net zero by 2050 target.

John Anderson was the Nationals leader between 1999-2005. Picture: Andy Rogers

Former deputy prime minister John Anderson says the “cattle are out of the yard” on a net zero by 2050 target and that the regional party must focus on ensuring future climate ­action is achieved equitably and delivers opportunities for the bush.

Mr Anderson, the Nationals leader between 1999-2005, also warned that Australia needed to ensure that international climate policy was not gamed by some nations seeking to secure an advantage over rivals.

“It is my personal view that the great danger of net zero is that not all the world is included,” Mr Anderson told The Australian. “If we are not careful we will transfer massive power and wealth to countries that have a very different set of agendas, including on climate.

“Whatever is done must be fair. Because there is no doubt that many regional Australians have paid a considerable price in … (emissions) reductions that we’ve made so far, particularly Queensland farmers.”

The advice came as the ­Nationals party room met on Sunday to debate the ­government’s plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, with Barnaby Joyce signalling the party would not support higher ambition on Australia’s 2030 targets to achieve an emissions reduction of 26-28 per cent on 2005 levels.

Warren Truss, the deputy prime minister from 2013-2016, told The Australian the Nationals Party would deal with the net zero issue like any other.

“Almost every day is an important one,” he said. “So this is an issue that has to be dealt with in the current environment. There will another issue the next day and the day after that. It’s not as though it’s just arriving and this is something new or magic.

“Political parties have to take decisions about difficult issues … It’s really a matter for the party room.

“Naturally, I’ve got views. But I think they are for me. I don’t propose to be giving advice from the sidelines.”

Mr Anderson said the decision of the Nationals on a net zero emissions target was a “very big moment” but argued that the “cattle are out of the yard”.

“There will of course be ­incredible opportunities for Australia,” he said.

“As a farmer, I needed to remind myself this is net zero. We are one of the few industries where you can actually help pull carbon out of the air and store it away and it doesn’t mean shutting down agriculture, that’s a critical point that’s missed.

“It may make agriculture smarter and more productive.”

However, former Queensland Nationals senator Ron Boswell told The Australian the party room should oppose a net zero by 2050 target.

“It’s certainly the wrong thing to do,” he said.

“It won’t achieve anything unless you get India and China on board and Russia.

“We should do what we are really good at. That is mining and farming and primary industry and producing food and fibre,” Mr Boswell said.

He argued that net zero would simply see emissions being ­outsourced to the developing world.