Matt Canavan moves anti-net-zero bill as Coalition’s climate rift deepens

Nationals senator Matt Canavan will introduce legislation to scrap Australia’s net-zero target, mirroring Barnaby Joyce’s lower house bill and heightening pressure on Sussan Ley.

Senator Matt Canavan hosts an opposition economic round-table at Parliament House on August 20. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Nationals senator Matt Canavan has announced plans to table an anti-net zero bill in the upper house, stoking the Coalition’s internal rift over climate policy and increasing pressure on Sussan Ley to settle the opposition’s stance on emissions.

The private member’s bill was raised in a meeting of the Coalition joint partyroom on Tuesday and mirrors legislation introduced to the House of Representatives by former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce that seeks to scrap climate-related laws.

Private members’ bills are rarely voted on and typically lapse soon after introduction, but Labor has allocated ample time to debate the legislation in a bid to highlight divisions inside the Coalition, with Mr Joyce continuing to circumvent a review process announced by the Opposition Leader.

After her elevation as Liberal leader, Ms Ley established a review of the Coalition’s emissions policy, which is being led by opposition energy and climate spokesman Dan Tehan.

Several conservative Liberal and Nationals MPs have demanded the existing policy on net-zero emissions be debated in a meeting of the joint partyroom immediately.

Fuelling their frustration are motions passed by several state Liberal branches, including WA and Queensland, to call on the federal parliamentary party to dump its policy commitment to net-zero emissions.

Senator Canavan, a critic of Australia’s net-zero emissions target, has been tasked with leading an internal review of the Nationals’ policy on the issue.

The Coalition’s fractures over climate policy were the subject of Labor ridicule in parliament on Tuesday, with Anthony Albanese also poking fun at Senator Canavan’s separate review.

“He’s reviewing it but he will already legislate to abolish it … I reckon the review will say [net zero] will go. Spoiler alert,” he said. “That’s what we see: Liberals fighting with the Nats, and they’re fighting each other.”