PoliticsNow: Scott Morrison’s rhetoric ‘reminiscent of the 1930s’. says Ged Kearney

Labor MP Ged Kearney has accused Scott Morrison of adopting the language of 1930s right-wing leaders | WATCH

• Coaliton’s climate attack
• Leaders’ tribute to murdered Clarke family
• ‘Labor doing it again on climate’
• Fitzgibbon v Joyce
• Greens bill to see polluters pay
• Labor stands firm on target
• What’s making news

Hello and welcome to PoliticsNow, The Australian’s live blog on the happenings at Parliament House in Canberra. Labor’s proposed net-zero emissions target by 2050 is again dominating discussion as politicians return to Canberra and industry responds to the ambitious plan.

Shadow agriculture and resources spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon and Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce have had a heated encounter on climate policy in a corridor of Parliament House.

Richard Ferguson 6.49pm: Jewish MP defends Kearney’s comments

Labor’s most senior Jewish MP Mark Dreyfus has defended his colleague Ged Kearney linking Scott Morrison to the rhetoric of far-right leaders of the 1930s.

Ms Kearney - a former ACTU president - said in the House of Representatives the Prime Minister’s attacks on the UN were reminiscent of “right-wing nationalism” and then compared it to the 1930s.

Liberal MP Andrew Hastie asked in parliament for Ms Kearney to withdraw considering the 1930s’ right wing leaders included the likes of Hitler and Franco.

Mr Dreyfus - the opposition legal affairs spokesman - told The Australian that Ms Kearney was simply referring to isolationism in the 30s, and not right-wing leaders.

“It’s clear, listening to the speech that Ms Kearney was speaking about 1930s isolationism which led to the collapse of multilateralism and the League of Nations,” he said.

“When we have a Prime Minister who parrots such dangerous drivel as “negative globalism”, I share her concerns.”

Richard Ferguson 5.41pm: PM’s rhetoric ‘reminiscent of the 1930s’

Labor MP Ged Kearney has accused Scott Morrison of adopting the language of the right-wing leaders of 1930s in attacking global institutions.

The Prime Minister has been critical of bodies like the United Nations since he became Prime Minister, saying nation states had to come first before internationalist bureaucracies.

Ms Kearney - a former ACTU president - said in the House of Representatives that his attacks on the UN were reminiscent of “right-wing nationalism” and then compared it to the 1930s.

“Mr Morrison is out in the public area undermining Australia’s commitment to multilateral institutions,” she said.

“His rhetoric is reminiscent of the right-wing nationalism we are seeing in the US and elsewhere. It takes us back to the 1930s.

“There is something increasingly obvious about his behaviour and his political trajectory. His attacks on the right to protest, his denunciation of business people.

“The rhetoric is reminiscent of the 1930s.”

The 1930s saw the rise of several right-wing regimes in Europe including Franco in Spain and Hitler in Germany.

The Labor MP for Cooper refused to withdraw when called to by Liberal MP Andrew Hastie.

Richard Ferguson 4.28pm: Targets won’t cost Qld seats: Albanese

Anthony Albanese claims his net zero emissions target for 2050 will not cost him seats in Queensland.

The Opposition Leader faced a coordinated attack on his new climate stance in question time on Monday from Scott Morrison and other Coalition frontbenchers, as he continues to face questions about the economic costs of a net zero target.

Mr Albanese flatly denied that the policy could cost him Queensland seats at the next election, where voters revolted last year against Labor’s climate policies and Greens protests against the Adani Carmichael mine.

“No (it will not cost Labor seats),” he told Sky News.

“This was a position that was adopted unanimously last month … every single person in the shadow ministry supported it and supported it strongly.

“In terms of going forward, what this will do is support jobs and support growth and lower emissions.”

Elias Visontay 4.05pm: Question Time climate attack

Climate change and emissions reductions targets dominated Question Time, with Labor attacking the government over alleged inaction and in return drawing criticism over its proposed 2050 target.

Labor then asked several questions to Mr Morrison and Energy Minister Angus Taylor about whether the government’s agreement to the Paris agreement meant it had committed to net zero emissions by 2050.

Mr Taylor insisted it was not the case, saying “we signed up to the Paris agreement which involves the world achieving net zero in the second half of the next century. That was our commitment.”

Independent Warringah MP Zali Steggall also asked Mr Morrison if the government had assessed the economic impact of three degrees warming trends, with Mr Morrison responding “what I can assure the Australian people is they will always pay the price of Labor’s failed climate policies”.

The government used the topic of climate change policy to criticise Labor for not having a 2030 emissions reductions target

Michael McCormack also attacked the opposition over concern from the National Farmers Federation to its proposed net-zero emissions by 2050 target.

“If ever there was a friend of the farmers, a friend of the National Farmers Federation, it is the Liberals and Nationals on this side of the house,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.

“You wanted to totally destroy agriculture,” Mr McCormack said.

Mr Albanese also challenged Mr Morrison to a climate change debate at the National Press Club before the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow at the end of the year, however he declined the offer and called Mr Albanese indulgent.

“There will be debates before the next election, and if you can last long enough to see me there, I’ll see you there.”

Labor also spent several questions pursuing the government over alleged pork barrelling to arise from the $3 billion Urban Congestion Fund.

“Does traffic congestion stop when commuters hit a road that is not on his list of partisan political priorities?” opposition transport spokeswoman Catherine King asked Mr Morrison, pointing out that $2.5 billion of the $3 billion fund had been allocated to projects in Liberal seats and seats targeted by the Liberal government.

Government MPs denied Liberal seats had been targeted.

Elias Visontay 3.31pm: Boothby fund share queried

Labor MP Nick Champion asks Scott Morrison about 42 per cent of the Urban Congestion Fund for South Australia being allocated to the marginal seat of Boothby.

“Is there no traffic congestion in the seats of Hindmarsh, Spence and Kingston?” he asks.

The Prime Minister says he already listed South Australian seats which have benefited from the fund.

Mr Morrison then congratulates government MP Nicolle Flint, the member for Boothby.

“I have to say the Member for Boothby does a fantastic job.”

Richard Ferguson 3.25pm: Urban congestion question won’t go away

Opposition defence spokesman Richard Marles asks Scott Morrison why the urban congestion fund has targeted Liberal target seats.

The Prime Minister denies this accusation again.

“I went through the considerable commitments the government made to electorates held by Labor members,” Mr Morrison says.

“At the last election we took a plan to the Australian people and that was to deal with congestion busting in the cities.

“We believe that’s an important issue to try to get people home, sooner and safer, so we put the fund together — $4 million — to make sure we can address those issues in our cities and in our communities.

What’s more important, Australians trusted our plan because they know we can deliver our plan, they know we know how to manage money.”

Richard Ferguson 3.18pm: Urban congestion fund allocations queried

Labor MP for Dobell Emma McBride asks Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack why money from an urban congestion fund went to her electorate neighbour — marginal Liberal seat Robertson — and not her seat.

Mr McCormack says Labor seats have been given funding under the scheme.

“The urban congestion fund is busting congestion ensuring vital roadworks are being filled. This is bringing together 266 crucial projects, 70 will start construction this year,” he says.

“All are under way with geo-technical investigations and other work under way on many more, we took these projects to the Australian people on May 18.

“These are decisions of governments. They are not competitive grants.”

Elias Visontay 3.15pm: King questions fund, then booted from Chamber

Opposition transport spokesman Catherine King asks Scott Morrison why $2.5 billion out of $3 billion of the Urban Congestion Fund went to projects in Liberal seats and seats targeted by the Liberal government.

“Does traffic congestion stop when commuters hit a road that is not on his list of partisan political priorities?” Ms King asks.

The Prime Minister responds with an accusation that an auditor general’s report from when Ms King was the minister had found similar conduct from her.

“A very ironic question coming from the member for Ballarat, given the views of the auditor general on her performance. Let me remind the member of the following — in the electorates of McMahon, $95 million. In Dobell, $6.35 million for 16 projects,” Mr Morrison says, listing the projects funded under her ministership.

Ms King interjects and is asked to leave the chamber.

“I was asked on the point of order about the allegation that the government had been acting against non-government electorates. I think that entitles me to compare and contrast the actions of those opposite on those matters,” he says. “The hypocrisy is outstanding.”

Richard Ferguson 3.04pm: Albanese challenges PM to climate debate

Anthony Albanese has challenged Scott Morrison to a climate change debate at the National Press Club before the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.

The Prime Minister declines and labels the Opposition Leader indulgent.

“It’s all about you, Albo, isn’t it? When we come in here and all the Leader of the Opposition can complain about is that he can’t get his 15 minutes of fame,” he says.

“What an indulgent Leader of the Opposition.

“I tell you what, if you want to sit in this chair, you’ve got to put the Australian people first, not yourself first, and worry about how much airtime you are getting.

“There will be debates before the next election, and if you can last long enough to see me there, I’ll see you there.”

Elias Visontay 3.03pm: ‘Still driven by climate sceptics’

Opposition energy spokesman Mark Butler asks Scott Morrison why his government’s climate change policy is “still being driven by extreme climate sceptics.”

“Net zero emissions by 2050 is supported by 73 countries including the UK, Canada, France and Germany. Every state and territory in Australia, the business Council, our largest airline and bank and mining company and telecommunications company,” Mr Butler says.

The Prime Minister responds by criticising Labor’s Otis grouping and the party’s proposed net zero emissions target by 2050.

“I simply make the observation that the shadow minister responsible for that portfolio area can’t even get 20 of his own back bench to agree on the 2030 target for emissions reduction,” Mr Morrison says.

“Even the New Zealand government was smart enough, Mr Speaker, not to include the agricultural sector when it came to their net zero emissions. It only happens to be 34 per cent, Mr Speaker, of the emissions in New Zealand.”

“The bill you couldn’t afford at the last election Mr Speaker is repeated by this Labor policy,” Mr Morrison says.

Richard Ferguson 2.57pm: 2030 target ‘more pressing’: Taylor

Opposition treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers asks Energy Minister Angus Taylor if the government has modelled the economic impact “of failing to make its Paris agreement commitment of net zero emissions by 2050?”.

Mr Taylor says Mr Chalmers’ question misinterprets what’s in the Paris agreement.

“It’s about global agreement to reach net zero in the second half of the century and our commitment.

“The commitment that is more pressing and that we are focused on is achieving our 2030 targets, 26 per cent reduction,

“We have a strong plan and an enviable track record and that enviable track record does not involve imposing a carbon tax. It’s about technology, not taxes,” Mr Taylor says.

Richard Ferguson 2.39pm: Labor’s target ‘could destroy agriculture’

Opposition agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon asks Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack if he knows the National Farmers Federation and Meat & Livestock Australia have plans to be carbon neutral by 2050.

Australia’s farming lobby and the $130bn freight industry have ­demanded Labor make the economic case for its plan to deliver zero net emissions by 2050, warning the policy could put the growth of the key sectors at risk.

The Deputy Prime Minister — who referenced the NFF comments to The Australian in a previous answer — says that the 2050 Labor targets could destroy agriculture.

“I can tell you what they do have a plan to do, and that is increase agriculture by $200 billion from the $60 billion that it is now,” he says.

“If ever there was a friend of the farmers, a friend of the National Farmers Federation, it is the Liberals and Nationals on this side of the house.

“You wanted to totally destroy agriculture.”

Elias Visontay 2.39pm: Australia will pay price of ‘Labor’s failed climate policies’

Warringah MP Zali Steggall asks Scott Morrison if the government has assessed the impact of three degrees warming trends on jobs and the economy.

“What is the cost?” Ms Steggall says.

The Prime Minister says “we do understand there are costs associated with climate change that we are indeed taking action on to reduce emissions”.

“I am asked about the costs. What I can assure the Australian people is they will always pay the price of Labor’s failed climate policies,” Mr Morrison says.

Richard Ferguson 2.34pm: Labor has no 2030 climate target: PM

Anthony Albanese asks Scott Morrison if he agrees with NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian’s assertion that her government’s 2050 net zero emission targets is consistent with Australia’s commitments under the Paris Agreement.

The Prime Minister says Labor has no 2030 target — while his party does — and accuses the Opposition Leader of avoiding a decision on that shorter-term target.

“On this side of the house, and this is what we took to the Australian people, we said we would hit 26 per cent reduction by 2030. We have a clear plan to achieve that.

“What I know is that Australians will always pay the price for Labor’s ill considered decisions.

“They will pay the price for a plan that doesn’t even exist by 2050.

“And they can’t tell you what they will do 10 years from now, so how could you believe anything about what will happen 30 years from now?”

Elias Visontay 2.27pm: Taylor defends Paris agreement

Anthony Albanese asks Energy Minister Angus Taylor “isn’t it the case cabinet committed to net zero emissions by 2050 when it signed up to the Paris agreement?”

Mr Taylor says that’s incorrect, which is met with baulking from the opposition.

“We signed up to the Paris agreement which involves the world achieving net zero in the second half of the next century. That was our commitment and of course, we have strong targets, a clear plan and an enviable track record as we’ve just heard from the Prime Minister,” Mr Taylor said.

Elias Visontay 2.23pm: PM quizzed on fire clean-up funding

Anthony Albanese asks Scott Morrison if he suggested to New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian to change the split between governments in funding the bushfire recovery clean-up “in a bid to reduce costs to the federal government”.

The Prime Minister says: “What we proposed is what was announced.”

“The proposal I put to the New South Wales Premier was the proposal that was adopted in the proposal that was announced.

“The proposal that was arranged between the Treasurer and the Treasurer of New South Wales and the head of the National bushfire recovery agency and their counterparts in New South Wales.”

Richard Ferguson 2.20pm: Albanese calls for national domestic violence summit

Anthony Albanese says the murders of Hannah Clarke and her three children shows the need for a national summit on domestic violence and the need for a standalone Family Court.

“We cannot be mere bystanders. We shouldn’t keep relearning the same lesson, that evil happens when good people do nothing,” the Opposition Leader says.

“Last May I suggested a national summit. I know there has been meetings such as that in the past, and I do think it is worth consideration, as put forward not in a political way but in the spirit in which it is intended and the Prime Minister indicates he is taking it.

“The existence of a standalone specialist Family Court is a Labor legacy that we will defend.

“Whatever problems there are with the family law system, the existence of a standalone specialist Family Court is not one of them. It’s a necessary part of the solution. The government and opposition can work on this.”

Scott Morrison announced a parliamentary inquiry into the Family Court last year, deputy chaired by One Nation leader and court critic Pauline Hanson

Richard Ferguson 2.05pm: PM: Hannah deserved to feel safe

Scott Morrison is opening up question time today by paying tribute to murder victims Hannah Clarke and her three children Aaliyah, Laianah and Trey.

The Prime Minister says there must lessons on tackling domestic violence learned from the four deaths at the hand of their estranged husband and father Rowan Baxter.

“Hannah deserved to feel safe and be safe, and to watch her joyous and wonderful children grow up,” Mr Morrison says.

“Laianah, Aaliyah and Trey deserved to have lives that were innocent, long and joyous.

“For most of us in this chamber, for all of us, the words family violence just jar. Saying those words together — they should never be together.

“They have nothing to do with each other. Quite the opposite. Because our families should be the safest place in all of the world, particularly for our kids.

“But sadly, all too often, they are not. We know that, as hard as it is to believe, one woman is killed every nine days by a partner or former partner.”

Richard Ferguson 1.50pm: Further coronavirus travel bans not ruled out

Australia’s chief medical officer Brendan Murphy will not rule out further travel bans on countries suffering from coronavirus outbreaks as South Korea, Japan and Italy struggle with increasing cases of the disease.

The government has increased travel warnings for South Korea and Japan as the coronavirus continues to spread

Professor Murphy on Monday said that the nation’s leading medical officers would meet later today to decide whether to ramp up travel warnings, and would not rule any further travel bans.

“We are updating the advice daily,” he said in Canberra.

“We don’t want to rule out anything. You cannot isolate a country from a large number of countries but you have to look at the proportionate risk of the number of cases in those countries and the capacity of those countries to control them.

“We know the South Koreans have very strong measures in place to isolate the main epicentre of that outbreak and we will be watching very closely. We’re not going to rule anything in or out.”

The update comes after South Korea recorded its sixth death from the virus on Sunday, with its government declaring the highest state of emergency level equivalent for the country to allow it powers to lockdown cities and take other action to stop the spread of the virus.

More than 600 cases of the virus have been confirmed in South Korea, with a majority of cases either members of a controversial Christian sect or their family members and friends.

Fears of the virus have also shuttered towns in the Lombardy region of Italy, with four matches in the Serie A Football League also postponed to contain the virus.

The Morrison government’s current travel ban on foreign nationals leaving from Mainland China is being reviewed weekly, and it has already loosened restrictions for Year 12 students

1pm: ‘Don’t bastardise all men out there’

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson described the murder last week of Hannah Clarke and her three children as a “horrendous act” but says Bettina Arndt should keep her award. The governor-general has referred complaints about men’s rights advocate Ms Arndt receiving an Order of Australia to the body that co-ordinates the honours. A growing number of state and federal MPs are demanding Ms Arndt be stripped of the honour after she made controversial comments about the domestic violence-related murders of Clarke, 31, and her three children aged under six.

David Hurley’s office has forwarded complaints he has received. “In all matters relating to the Order of Australia, the governor-general acts on advice from and recommendations made by the Council for the Order of Australia,” his spokesman said on Monday.

Victorian Labor Attorney-General Jill Hennessy, Liberal backbencher Tim Smith and Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson are among those who believe Ms Arndt should be stripped of the honour.

Ms Arndt attracted renewed scrutiny last week after congratulating Queensland police for “keeping an open mind” about the possibility that estranged husband Rowan Baxter, 42, may have been “driven too far” before killing Hannah and their children.

The detective inspector whose comments Ms Arndt referred to stood aside from the investigation into the murders on Friday.

Of Ms Arndt, Senator Hanson told Nine’s Today: “She is clearly stating what she thinks and what a police officer said.”

Senator Hanson said she hoped an ongoing Senate inquiry into family law would help determine why people like Baxter commit such heinous crimes. “A lot of people are driven to this, to do these acts, for one reason or another,” she said.

“Hopefully the family law inquiry will get to the bottom of it, but don’t bastardise all men out there, or women for that matter, because these things happen.”

"Don't barstardise all men out there... because these things happen." @PaulineHansonOz on the brutal murder of Hannah Clarke and her three children, at the hands of their father. #9Today pic.twitter.com/1tLQ0zf203

— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) February 23, 2020

Ms Arndt was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for “significant service to the community as a social commentator, and to gender equity through advocacy for men”. — AAP

12.30pm: Amnesty for unpaid super

Bosses who haven’t paid workers’ superannuation entitlements will be given a one-off amnesty. Legislation passed parliament on Monday to let employers off the hook for non- compliance with the retirement savings guarantee. The coalition government argues the move will reunite employees with unpaid superannuation, while Labor warned it would give a free pass to people cheating the system. — AAP

11.15am: Joyce’s plan for senators

Barnaby Joyce is sick of most senators being from capital cities and has a plan to change that. The Nationals backbencher has introduced a private member’s bill to parliament, which would split each state into six regions — like mega electorates — that each vote for two senators. “This is something that is so important,” he told the lower house on Monday. “We need for our Senate to have a constituency and to have the capacity to represent a geographic area.” Mr Joyce says that in most instances, 11-out-of-12 senators come from capital cities.

He also pointed out that New York has two senators, while Adelaide has 11. “We need to make sure that as the seats get bigger and bigger and bigger in the House of Representatives in regional areas, that this is offset by the capacity to get more Senate representation.” Under the plan — which was seconded by independent MP Bob Katter — no region could be bigger than 30 per cent of the state’s landmass and the capital city would be confined to a single region. Mr Joyce argues this would also help to improve indigenous representation in parliament. The backbencher, who recently launched a failed bid to reclaim the Nationals leadership, said the proposal wouldn’t warrant a change to the Constitution. It’s up to the parliament to change how senators elected, Mr Joyce said. Senate president Scott Ryan was quick to shoot down Mr Joyce’s idea after he floated it last year. “The current Senate is actually very reflective of the national vote despite the differences in state populations,” he said. “But this proposal would destroy that.” — AAP

Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce speaks in the House of Representatives on Monday.

ELIAS VISONTAY 10.45am: ‘Mud huts with no electricity’

Labor MPs have defended the party’s net-zero emissions by 2050 target that has been criticised by farmers, industry and coalition politicians as bringing Australia towards living “in mud huts with no electricity”.

NT Coalition Senator Sam McMahon responded to Labor’s proposal by saying Australians had already rejected it at the 2019 election. “To say we’re going to hit zero by 2050 … if you think ordinary Australians voted the way they did on May 18th to live in mud huts with no electricity, then sure, that’s a good thing, but I don’t think they did,” she said.

She also tweeted: “what did Labor and Greens use before Candles? Electricity.”

What did Labor and the Greens use before Candles?
Electricity

— Senator Dr Sam McMahon (@senator_sam) February 23, 2020

The criticism comes after concerns from the National Farmers Federation chief, as well as the $130bn freight industry, who have ­demanded Labor make the economic case for its plan to deliver zero net emissions by 2050, warning the policy could put the growth of the key sectors at risk after Anthony Albanese confirmed the target would apply economy-wide.

Several Labor MPs have fronted media on Monday morning defending industry concerns the ambitious target, urging Australians to consider the cost of inaction on climate change.

“We’ll be working with the NFF and all of the other people across the economy,” Labor MP Josh Burns said. “This has to be something that we bring people together. It is really important that we get this right. We need to bring people with us, not be divisive. And we need to be working with all parts of industry. Tackling climate change is difficult. It’s hard and we need to bring people with us and we need to unite the country in doing so and we’re not seeing any leadership from Scott Morrison. All he’s doing is standing still. There’s no action by the Government.”

ELIAS VISONTAY 10.15am: Smarttraveller update

The government has increased travel warnings for South Korea and Japan as the coronavirus continues to spread. Smarttraveller, the public advice and information wing of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, announced the heightened warning on Sunday night, urging Australians to exercise a high degree of caution in the countries “due to an increased risk of sustained local transmission”. “Based on advice from Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, we now recommend you ‘exercise a high degree of caution’ in South Korea,” a Smarttraveller notice said.

We’ve raised the level of advice for #SouthKorea. Exercise a high degree of caution overall due to an increased risk of sustained local transmission of #coronavirus. Reconsider your need to travel to Daegu and Cheongdo. For more information visit https://t.co/ieb1YoBvK6

— Smartraveller (@Smartraveller) February 23, 2020

“We now also advise you to reconsider your need to travel to Daegu and Cheongdo due to significant outbreaks of COVID-19 in those cities. If you are in South Korea, monitor your health closely and follow the advice of local authorities.”

The update comes after South Korea recorded its sixth death from the virus on Sunday, with its government declaring the highest state of emergency level equivalent for the country to allow it powers to lockdown cities and take other action to stop the spread of the virus.

More than 600 cases of the virus have been confirmed in South Korea, with a majority of cases either members of a controversial Christian sect or their family members and friends.

Fears of the virus have also shuttered towns in the Lombardy region of Italy, with four matches in the Serie A football league also postponed to contain the virus.

An outpost of the Australian Institute of Sport has been ordered closed by Italian authorities as three people in northern Italy died of coronavirus.

Elsewhere, Turkey and Pakistan have closed their borders with Iran, as schools and universities in Tehran shut for the week to stop the virus spreading in a country where eight deaths have been reported.

9.45am: Aussie celebs urge climate action

Australian celebrities have urged Prime Minister Scott Morrison to take action to prevent new bushfires. Greenpeace on Monday released a new campaign in which actor Simon Baker, musician Julia Stone and AFL player Dyson Heppell ask Scott Morrison to shift from coal to renewable energies.

In the video, bushfire survivors and Aussie personalities ask the PM “what sort of world” he wants his daughters to grow up in as a family man. Imploring Mr Morrison to act so Australia stops “falling behind the rest of world”, the video lists the “unprecedented fires”, “extreme drought” and “flash flooding” that have devastated communities in a “black summer”.

JUST RELEASED: This is an intervention for Scott Morrison, Prime Minister of Australia. 🔉 SOUND ON Mate. I'm sorry to...

Posted by Greenpeace Australia Pacific on Sunday, 23 February 2020

The message from the Dear Scotty campaign claims to be directed to “both sides of politics” and calls for “change, unity, and leadership” to tackle the country’s future.

“People have lost their lives, families have lost their homes, and koalas have burnt alive all over Australia,” Greenpeace Australia Pacific Senior Campaigner Nathaniel Pelle said.

“Everyone is feeling the impacts of this coal-fuelled bushfire crisis and we need Scott Morrison to act for their future and the future of all Australians.” — AAP

ELIAS VISONTAY 9.15am: ‘The world needs to get to net zero’

Liberal MP Dave Sharma says “Australia certainly remains committed” to a target of net zero emissions by the second half of the century, and that he “admires” state and territory governments that have made the commitment.

However, the moderate Liberal said his government needed to “make certain that we can deliver on any commitments we make before we go rationally making them”, as politicians respond to Labor’s proposed net-zero emissions by 2050 target.

“The world needs to get to net zero by the second half of the century to limit temperature rises. Australia certainly remains committed to that goal but we also need the rest of the world to be committed to that goal,” Mr Sharma told Sky News. “Australia has a comparative advantage in resources and I think there will always be people employed in the resources industry. I can’t say that the number of jobs in the coal industry will be exactly the same, I don’t think anyone could.

“But I think resources will continue to make a major contribution to the Australian economy because the world needs what we’ve got and that’s including in a zero net emissions world.”

Mr Sharma said Australia always needs to be preparing for economic transitions, and that “the best way to do this is not through a command and control centrally planned economy but allowing investors, market forces, employers and employees to make those sorts of decisions”.

Asked what the difference was between the net-zero emissions by 2050 target proposed by Anthony Albanese and the commitment made by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Mr Sharma said: “I admire the states and territories for signing up to this.”

“As the Commonwealth Government we’re the ones ultimately accountable and responsible for meeting Australian national commitments.”

ELIAS VISONTAY 8.45am: ‘Damage of not acting on climate is larger’

Labor MP Andrew Leigh has said the Coalition party room is being “ripped to pieces” by internal division over climate change, hitting back at government MPs criticising the oppositions net-zero emissions target by 2050. “The damage of not acting on climate change is significantly larger: according to Melbourne University, 20 times larger than the cost of acting,” Mr Leigh said. “We know from the CSIRO too that there are significant costs of inaction. Jobs that will be lost around the Great Barrier Reef. Significant impacts to Australian agriculture. There is no advanced economy more at risk from climate change than Australia, as the recent bushfire season has shown us. Australia must act on climate change. It’s in our national economic interest to do so.

“When you look at division, you look at the Coalition party room ripped to pieces, destroying leader after leader over the issue of climate change. There’s no one sitting in the Labor party room that’s arguing that climate change is a conspiracy run by the Bureau of Meteorology.”

ELIAS VISONTAY 8.30am: ‘Labor’s doing it all over again’

Energy Minister Angus Taylor has joined the list of coalition MPs laying into Labor’s proposed net-zero emissions target for 2050, accusing the party of not learning a lesson from the 2019 election. Mr Taylor said “Labor’s doing it all over again”, and contrasted the lack of detail in the proposed plan with his government’s policy, which he said does not “punish” farmers, miners and manufacturing workers. “Targets without plans, without funding, without costing. I mean only Labor can do this multiple times. The Australian people told them what they thought at the last election,” Mr Taylor told Sky News.

“We’ll be focusing on technology, and in particular technologies that can help our big export industries to be able to reduce emissions without job destruction, without destroying regions’ incomes.”

Asked if the government was open to committing the nation to a net-zero emissions target by 2050 ahead of a global UN climate summit in Glasgow later this year, Mr Taylor: “What we’re not open to is any target which has got no plan, is uncoated and unfunded.”

ELIAS VISONTAY 8am: Fitzgibbon v Joyce

Shadow agriculture and resources spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon has declared no coal miner will lose a job as a result of Labor’s zero net emissions by 2050 policy. Mr Fitzgibbon brawled with Barnaby Joyce in the corridors of Parliament House while giving an interview and was all but forced into making the admission by the Nationals MP.

“There will be no coal miner lose a job as a result of Labor’s zero net emissions policy,” Mr Fitzgibbon said after being pressed by Mr Joyce.

Mr Joyce responded: “Do you believe that? Can you believe this guy?”

Mr Fitzgibbon then justified Labor’s position, saying “people are over the political spin. They want action, they want sensible action”.

Later appearing on Sky News, Mr Fitzgibbon said: “Barnaby Joyce just now could not provide any cogent argument or facts and figures to support his political posturing.”

Mr Fitzgibbon defended the net-zero emissions by 2050 target as a “conservative position” shared by state premiers, businesses councils and the red meat industry. “We’re in pretty good company,” he said.

He said the policy was about concentrating just as much on absorbing carbon dioxide emitted than reducing emissions. “It’s time that Barnaby Joyce and others put their weapons down,” he said.

Joel Fitzgibbon and Barnaby Joyce go head to head in an impromptu debate in the press gallery #auspol pic.twitter.com/PwKD7SB5Ze

— Nick Haggarty (@NickHaggarty) February 23, 2020

Asked if Labor’s plan would include a carbon price, Mr Fitzgibbon said: “Well we haven’t established how we might meet these aspirations. We want to consult all the companies and governments which have already made this commitment and the farming organisations to work with them over the course of the next 18 months or so to determine the best path to zero net emissions for them. There is a very large cost in not acting. It’s time we put the climate wars behind us.”

ELIAS VISONTAY 7.30am: Labor stands firm on target

Shadow infrastructure spokeswoman Catherine King has stood behind Labor’s proposed net-zero emissions by 2050 target, saying the government is “pretending that there are no benefits” to the plan.

Catherine King arrives at Parliament House in Canberra.

Ms King was responding to a report in The Australian today that raised concerns from farmers and the freight industry that Labor needed to release more economic detail about its recently announced climate policy.

“In terms of agriculture, there are great opportunities for agriculture, particularly in areas like carbon sinking, also in the forestry industry,” Ms King, the MP for Ballarat, told ABC radio.

“I would expect within my own community … we’ve experienced significant droughts, we’ve experienced bushfires in our period of time as well, but people in agriculture know that there is a change coming and they want to be part of that change. And there are great opportunities.

“You’ve got to talk about the benefits and the costs. The government basically is pretending that there are no benefits. And it also refuses to talk about the cost of doing nothing.

“For agriculture there are significant costs for doing nothing. And we’ve already seen that in this country. We’ve seen that with the significant droughts we’ve had. And I know many people in agriculture in my electorate would look forward to the opportunities that net zero brings, and really want to be part of that future.”

Ms King also criticised the government for a lack of transparency over the tender process for a controversial $4 billion Urban Congestion Fund — designed to reduce traffic gridlock and remove bottlenecks.

Reports have shown that 144 of the 160 projects funded under the government scheme went to either coalition or marginal Labor seats the government thought it could win. “This is something that was announced as a government budgeted fund during the 2018 budget. It sat there for a year with very little activity. And suddenly this massive flurry of activity in the lead up to the election.” Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has also described claims the government poured billions of dollars into infrastructure projects in coalition-held seats before the election as “nuclear” rorting. — With AAP

7.15am: Greens bill to see polluters pay

Greens leader Adam Bandt believes coal, oil and gas companies should pay for the damage their products have caused Australians, just as asbestos and tobacco firms have done in the past.

Greens Leader Adam Bandt.

Mr Bandt will introduce a new bill into parliament on Monday that would make fossil fuel companies liable for environmental damage, and allow damage payments to survivors of the recent bushfires. The bill would also give governments the right to bring actions in their own right or on behalf of people affected.

Labor has reaffirmed its commitment to a net zero emissions target by 2050. Energy Minister Angus Taylor criticised Labor leader Anthony Albanese for announcing the policy without including costings or modelling on the economic impacts.

“He is all target and no plan … (people) need an explanation,” Mr Taylor said. However, all the states and territories as well as business groups support such a target, as do more than 70 other countries, including the UK and Canada. — AAP

ELIAS VISONTAY 7am: What’s making news

Australia’s farmers and the $130bn freight industry have ­demanded Labor make the economic case for its plan to deliver zero net emissions by 2050, warning the policy could put the growth of the key sectors at risk after Anthony Albanese confirmed the target would apply economy-wide.

The Coalition has managed to narrow the electoral gap on Labor and arrest a collapse in support as Anthony Albanese’s personal ­approval ratings slip back into negative territory for the first time since December, according to the latest Newspoll.

A special Newspoll also found that meeting climate change targets has for the first time emerged as a greater priority for voters than keeping energy prices down, with more people now also claiming they would be prepared to wear at least some cost to achieve it.

Simon Benson writes: The mood of the nation would ­appear to have shifted and voters now believe that business as usual on climate change is no longer an option.

There has been a surge in South Africans seeking refuge in Australia after Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton controversially instructed his department to accept claims from persecuted farmers, but none has had their visa applications approved.

Australia is spending almost $200m a year on aid to the Solomon Islands but that’s failed to prevent children living in the capital’s rubbish tip.

Anthony Albanese has called for a cap on “obscene” political donations following Clive Palmer’s $84m advertising blitz prior to last year’s federal election.