Scott Morrison has all the talking points as Labor goes negative

Scott Morrison in question time on Wednesday. Picture: Gary Ramage

Climate change is meant to be a weakness for Scott Morrison, with the potential to split the Coalition.

Yet the latest international climate change report appears to have the Prime Minister and the Coalition better prepared for the debate than Anthony Albanese and Labor.

On Tuesday, Morrison moved quickly to put his response to climate change in the public mind before parliamentary questions, offering a global view to solve a global problem through technology for developing economies.

In a policy and political sense, Morrison presented a coherent argument for using technology to cut emissions – in contrast to Labor’s history of a carbon tax – that does not prevent nations such as India and Indonesia from developing or “place all the burden” on regional and mining Australia.

Morrison insists a plan to cut emissions, which is transparent and costed, needs to be put into place to achieve existing targets and determine new ones.

This is part of his argument for not yet committing to net zero emissions by 2050 – because the measures determine the goals and when they will be achieved.

Energy and Emissions Reductions Minister Angus Taylor looks comfortable defending the Morrison approach and so far there have been no serious outbreaks of dissent within the Coalition.

Yet for all the intrinsic benefit for Labor, the Opposition Leader and his colleagues – except Chris Bowen who is locked down in his electorate – have been almost shy about raising the issue, limiting questions in parliament and not raising the issue in interviews.

Fair enough that Labor considers the Covid-19 vaccination rollout and the growing disaster in NSW the issue of most interest to people, but an election between March and May next year won’t be fought on vaccination alone.

But it is Labor that is incapable of, or unwilling to, set out how it will achieve its commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and can’t take the debate beyond Morrison’s refusal to sign up to the 2050 targets and leaving Australia “sitting in a corner shouting at the moon”, as Albanese said on Wednesday.

As Morrison appeals to people in the regions, mining families and farmers, Labor is left with negative lines about falling behind the rest of the world and not backing renewables.

There will be a “pathway” to net zero by 2050 before the election, Labor frontbenchers say, but so far nothing beyond the commitment itself. Morrison may have the worst end of the climate change debate and he may have the biggest challenge, but so far he’s the better prepared for the debate.