Sussan Ley under the pump as Coalition uprising against net zero grows

Sussan Ley is facing a growing Coalition uprising to dump net zero by 2050, with the WA and Queensland divisions moving to formally oppose the policy and David Littleproud signalling the Nationals could walk away from the pledge.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley in question time on Wednesday. Picture: Martin Ollman / NewsWire

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Sussan Ley is facing a growing ­Coalition uprising to dump net zero by 2050, with the West ­Australian and Queensland divisions moving to formally oppose the policy and David Littleproud giving his strongest signal yet that the ­Nationals could walk away from the pledge.

After Michael McCormack and Barnaby Joyce triggered a messy debate over the Coalition climate target, The Australian can reveal the WA Liberal state council on Saturday is expected to join South Australia and the Northern Territory in backing a motion to abandon the net zero policy.

The Australian can reveal the Canning division of opposition home affairs spokesman Andrew Hastie has moved a motion to the Liberal state executive for the federal Coalition to ditch net zero, which will be debated and voted on by state council delegates.

Mr Hastie, who is considered a future Liberal leader, said “many of our party members are worried about Australia’s energy security, including my division of Canning”.

“This motion reflects their concerns, and we need to listen to them,” Mr Hastie told The Australian. “It’s understandable and appropriate that our party members have their say on energy policy while it is under review by the ­federal partyroom.”

Queensland Liberal National Party sources on Wednesday confirmed a similar motion would be put to the LNP convention next month, after the Young LNP ­recently endorsed an urgency ­motion calling for the federal ­Coalition to reject net zero.

The NSW Nationals in June passed a motion to abandon the net zero commitment and Victorian opposition leader Brad Battin on Wednesday signalled the state Coalition’s net zero policy would be reviewed ahead of next year’s Victorian election.

The wave of opposition to net zero across Liberal divisions ramps up pressure on the Opposition Leader and her energy spokesman Dan Tehan, who she has tasked with leading the post-election review into the net zero policy.

After Mr McCormack revealed in The Australian on Monday he would vote for Mr Joyce’s private-members bill to repeal net zero, Mr Littleproud labelled the climate target as “impossible”.

“We are trying to achieve the impossible rather than do what is sensible,” the Nationals leader told Sky News.

Nationals senator Matt Canavan, who is leading the junior Coalition party’s review of net zero, will table Mr Joyce’s bill in the Senate, with other Coalition MPs confirming support for it including Tony Pasin, Garth Hamilton, Alex Antic, Llew O’Brien and Colin Boyce.

Other MPs oppose net zero but do not want to front-run the formal policy reviews being led by Senator Canavan and Mr Tehan.

With many Liberal MPs supportive of net zero, Mr McCormack said he believed it would be possible for the Liberals and Nationals to have different positions on the issue.

When asked how this would be compatible with shadow cabinet solidarity, Mr McCormack said: “That will play out in the weeks and months. It is three years before the next election, we need to be able to go to the electorate with a strong, credible case and I think a strong credible case would be around cheaper energy,” he said.

Ms Ley said the Coalition’s climate and energy policy would be underpinned by reducing emissions, stabilising the electricity grid and putting downward pressure on power prices.

“Our job when it comes to energy is to have front and centre our Australians who are struggling, our manufacturers who are going out of business, our international industries that are moving offshore,” Ms Ley said.

Victorian moderate Liberal senator Jane Hume said “the electorate has told us that they want to see a net zero energy future”.

“We want to make sure, though, that (the) transition to a lower-emissions future is seen through the lens of an economic problem, because that is exactly what it is,” Senator Hume told Sky News.

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen used parliament to ridicule the new alliance between Mr Joyce and Mr McCormack.

“The new dream team, the new couple, the Member for New England and the Member for Riverina,” he said.

“He’s looking to swipe out (Mr Littleproud).”

The Canning motion being debated at the WA Liberal conference supports the harnessing of “Australia’s natural abundance of coal, gas and uranium in the generation of stable, reliable and affordable power”.

It says the federal opposition should abandon the net zero by 2050 target supported by Peter Dutton and Mr Littleproud at the May 3 election and backs removing the nuclear energy ban to “allow the market to determine future use of nuclear energy for domestic use”.

The WA Liberal state council is expected to endorse committing to “an ambitious supply-side economic reform agenda that reforms the legislated net zero incentives, subsidies and penalties”.

The Canning motion says given that three countries – China, the US and India – are responsible for more than 50 per cent of the world’s carbon emissions and have no intention of meeting net zero by 2050, the federal opposition should “adopt the goal of achieving lower power prices that improve our living standards, make us globally competitive for investment, and rebuild our industrial base”.

“Attempts to decarbonise Australia are destabilising our energy grid, forcing up power prices and damaging our national and economic security,” the motion says.

“Net zero 2050 is slowing Australian productivity, diminishing our standard of living, hurting families and businesses, and hollowing out our industrial base.

“Our first obligation is to the Australian people and that the rising costs of Net Zero 2050 are being visited upon the Australian people who we are called to represent.”

In Queensland, Senator Canavan said it was time for LNP members to “be given a proper debate on net zero”.

“Over the last three years, the threat of elections has prevented our members being able to have their genuine say,” Senator Canavan said. “The Queensland LNP local, state and federal parties do not face an election for three years. Now is the time to have this debate, respect our members and let them say what they think.”

The Australian understands attempts in recent years to pass motions opposing net zero at LNP conventions were stymied by interference from Mr Dutton and his supporters.

After Mr Dutton was dumped from parliament at the election and with Mr Littleproud under pressure, senior LNP figures are expecting net zero and nuclear policies will be front and centre at the LNP convention.

Additional reporting: Paul Garvey