National-backed rally calls on the party to ditch its net zero by 2050 commitment
Protesters at the ‘rally against reckless renewables’ have urged the National Party to abandon its support for net zero by 2050, declaring: ‘words without action are meaningless’.
Protesters at the “rally against reckless renewables” have urged the National Party to abandon its support for net zero by 2050, declaring: “words without action are meaningless”.
The rally took place outside Parliament House and saw hundreds of landowners, conservationists and activists from around the country converge to protest Labor’s 82 per cent renewables target and call on a senate inquiry into the impact of the projects.
While some raised concern with the affect offshore wind farms could have on marine life, others criticised the decision to phase out fossil fuels and questioned the “socialist” claims around climate change.
Despite about a dozen Nationals MPs – including leader David Littleproud – speaking at the rally in support of the cause, many speakers criticised the party for “going along” with the Coalition’s net zero by 2050 policy.
One author and conservative activist, Jeff Grimshaw, urged the crowd of hundreds to write to their local member and “tell them you won’t support them if they support net zero”.
“Words without action are meaningless and claiming you’re against renewables … and then going back into that building with a party on-board with net zero … the Nationals have to pull their heads in and tell the Liberals ‘it’s either us or net zero’,” he said, to cheers from the audience.
“If it comes to it, get out of the Coalition, run against them, because we need someone to stand up for us.”
Mr Littleproud defended the party’s support for net zero and said that if the Coalition had not signed up, primary producers would have faced export controls from countries around the world declaring they would not do business with nations lacking strong climate commitments.
“We have to understand we’re an export nation and we don’t get to set all the international trading rules,” he said.
In his speech to the crowd, Mr Littleproud said the National Party “would not be part of any Coalition that spends a cent” on projects such as the pumped hydro program in Eungella.
“We can make sure that we invest in the technology that protects the traditional industries of coal and gas with carbon capture storage, but look to the new technology of nuclear, making sure that we have zero emissions. That’s the courage the Nationals have brought to this place,” he said.
Former nationals leader Barnaby Joyce – who backed a motion at the party’s national conference last year to strip net zero from its policy platform – said it was important the focus remained on “fighting renewables”.
“There were a lot of people (at the rally) who wanted to go off in all sorts of directions and that is not going to help because I know enough about politics to say you give people a clear idea of why you’re there and you stick to it,” he said.
Liberals including Tony Passin also spoke in support of the rally against renewables, as well as members of the United Australia Party and One Nation.
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong told protesters who came into the Senate gallery during question time that the Nationals had backed many renewables projects in the past and to remember that “when they come to your rallies and tell you how much of a friend they are”.
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