MPs’ climate push risks internal clash

A group of Liberal MPs is pushing for a broad suite of climate change and environmental policies ahead of the next election.

Minister for Resources Matt Canavan and Liberal Senator Dean Smith.

A group of Liberal MPs is pushing for a broad suite of climate change and environmental policies ahead of the next election — including more funding for renewables — in a move that risks a collision with conservative MPs who want an axe taken to green energy ­subsidies.

Liberal MPs Russell Broadbent, Tim Wilson, Trent Zimmerman and Dean Smith have urged Scott Morrison to outline further polic­ies to combat climate change, as the Prime Minister confirmed the government would pump an extra $2 billion into Tony Abbott-style direct action measures to reduce carbon emissions.

But their calls for further measures ahead of the election were slapped down by Coalition MPs Keith Pitt and Craig Kelly, who said there was already too much public money being spent on renewable­s.

With the Prime Minister expecte­d to unveil further climate change policies today, Mr Broadbent said he would support more funding for the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, which Mr Abbott tried to abolish when he was prime minister.

ARENA, which helps fund renewabl­e projects and is due to expire in 2022 unless it receives a capital injection, had its funding cut by $435 million in 2016 after the government failed to pass legislation to cull the agency.

“I’m very interested in practical, on-the-ground solutions that address climate change and envir­onmental issues, and I am hoping for a big package of practical things that we can do nationally,” Mr Broadbent told The Australian.

Mr Zimmerman, who holds the affluent seat of North Sydney, said there was “strong support” in his electorate for government support of renewables.

Senator Smith said the government needed a “broad and comprehen­sive climate change narrative” for the next election.

Mr Wilson urged continued funding for ARENA and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.

Mr Kelly, the chairman of the Coalition’s backbench energy committee, said the government was doing enough to combat climat­e change.

Mr Pitt said the renewables industr­y “well and truly” received enough government support and it could stand on its own.