Liberal Party accuses teal MPs of being dishonest over their opposition to fossil fuel subsidies

The Liberal Party has fired the starter’s gun on its election assault, accusing the independent MPs of being dishonest over their opposition to fossil fuel rebates.

Teal MP Zali Steggall, who represents the Sydney seat of Warringah, has introduced legislation that would ban misleading or deceptive election material. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles

The Liberal Party has fired the starter’s gun on its election assault against the teals in a bid to try and win back the once blue-ribbon seats, accusing the independent MPs of being dishonest over their opposition to fossil fuel rebates.

Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley also vowed the Coalition would take “effective and affordable climate targets to the next election”, but refused to elaborate on whether that would include an updated 2030 target or 2035 goal.

As The Australian revealed the teals would take a 75 per cent emissions reduction target to the election, due by May next year, NSW Liberal senator Andrew Bragg this week wrote to independent MP Zali Steggall to clarify if her proposed Stop the Lies Bill would cover the conduct of teal candidates and members at the 2022 federal poll.

The legislation, which has been updated and is now called the Voter Protections in Political Advertising Bill, would prohibit misleading or deceptive electoral or referendum material.

Senator Bragg said before the last election teal MPs were calling to remove fossil fuel subsidies but since entering parliament had “instead voted for new fossil fuel rebates for the oil and gas sector” by supporting the government’s energy price relief plan that introduced a price cap on gas of $12 per gigajoule.

A $125-a-tonne coal price cap and compensation paid 50-50 by the Commonwealth and the states to affected companies were part of the package and negotiated separately with NSW and Queensland.

Industry sources said gas producers weren’t compensated under the scheme but Senator Bragg argued the teals voted for the legislation “knowing it would mean the government would have to provide subsidies to coal companies”.

Senator Bragg pointed to promises from teal candidates-turned-MPs before the last election to “put an end to the government’s $11.6bn a year in fossil fuel subsidies” and “end subsidies propping up dying fossil fuel industries”.

He said those pledges had now been watered down.

“Hence, the teals advertised on their websites that they were seeking to remove fossil fuel subsidies before the last election. Yet since being elected (excluding yourself, as you were elected prior to the last election) the teals have instead voted for new fossil fuel rebates for the oil and gas sector as a member of parliament,” Senator Bragg writes to Ms Steggall.

“I also note all the candidates campaigned on integrity and honesty as part of their campaign. Therefore, I write to ask whether you and your fellow teal MPs’ conduct will be captured by your bill, given the inconsistency between the bill’s mandate and the conduct outlined above which fails to meet the test you outlined as ‘truth-telling’?”

Ms Steggall labelled the letter “juvenile” and said Senator Bragg didn’t seem to grasp her bill. It would not apply to election material retrospectively.

“It begs the question – I’m not sure the Coalition senator is delivering great value to the people of NSW,” she said.

“Clearly, he has too much time on his hands, time that would be far better spent coming up with a climate action policy for the Coalition.”

The Australian last week revealed Coalition MPs were warning against adopting a 2035 target amid concerns about its impact on cost-of-living, but Ms Ley on Wednesday appeared to suggest new targets – on top of the opposition’s commitment to net zero emissions by 2050 – would be brought forward.

She called on the teals to outline how they arrived at a 75 per cent by 2035 target, how much it would cost and whether their communities were willing to pay for it.

“The Coalition will bring effective and affordable climate targets to the next election, and we will fight hard for every vote in the seats held by independents,” Ms Ley said.

“It is time for the teals to be accountable for their thought bubbles. If they want to increase taxes or push costs onto their electorates, they need to be honest about it.”