Teals to push ALP further on targets

Teal independents who will soon enter parliament have stress Labor needs more ambitious climate targets if it is to secure their support.

Zoe Daniel says she will be pushing for emissions targets to be legislated to prevent any ‘wriggle room’ on net zer NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

Teal independents who will soon enter parliament have confirmed they will “communicate and collaborate” with each other and have stressed Labor needs more ambitious climate targets if it is to secure their support.

It comes as Labor is poised to win majority government, but with several seats still in play and the group of independents set to grow to more than half a dozen.

The new member for the Victorian seat of Goldstein, Zoe Daniel, confirmed she had been in contact with other independents during the campaign and intended to continue that collaboration once parliament sat.

“Independents already communicate and collaborate, and that’s a good thing,” she said on ABC’s Insiders on Sunday.

“I think one of the failings of our two-party system has been their lack of capacity to do that and to achieve bipartisanship.

“Yes, there will be conver­sations with my incoming fellow independents, but what Australia has elected on the crossbench this time around is a community crossbench, a group of people who seek to genuinely engage with and represent their communities, and I think that’s a wonderful thing.”

Ms Daniel said she would be pushing for emissions targets to be legislated to prevent any “wriggle room” on net zero, while also calling for a 60 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030.

“I came in with a stated target of 60 per cent. People voted for me based on that and that’s what I will argue for,” she said.

Monique Ryan, who took out Josh Frydenberg in the seat of Kooyong, also ­declared emissions targets would be her key focus in talks with Labor.

“He (Anthony Albanese) will need to give us the assurance that he will provide to us what the electorates that have elected us are wanting, and what we want is effective action on ­climate change,” she said.

Dr Ryan made clear she would not offer confidence and supply unless Labor adopted more ambitious climate policies.

Allegra Spender wants emission reductions of at least 50 per cent by 2030. Picture: Darren Leigh Roberts

The new MP for Wentworth, Allegra Spender, said she would be fighting for emissions reductions of at least 50 per cent by 2030.

She said the independents and communities they were representing were “on the same page”.

“I’m willing to collaborate with everyone and I see that the independents (have) a lot of common ground but I’m sure they will be differences as well,” she said.

Sophie Scamps, who won in Mackeller, said she would be “working with MPs across the political spectrum in the best interests of all Australians”.

“As an independent I will work constructively to ensure we implement policies that reduce our emissions by at least 50 per cent by 2030 while also helping Australia to become a renewable energy superpower, lowering electricity bills and creating well-paid jobs”, she said.

Other independents such as Kate Chaney, who is running against Celia Hammond in the Perth seat of Curtin, held off announcing victory until more of the postal vote was counted.

The independents had the ­financial backing of Climate 200, which was founded by Simon Holmes a Court, who confirmed on Saturday night that he was hopeful “many more” independents would run at the next ­election.

“Climate 200 will be there to help them,” he told ABC.