Tony Abbott backflips on Paris Agreement in debate with Zali Steggall

Tony Abbott has spectacularly walked away from his stance on the Paris Agreement amid an attack by rival Zali Steggall.

Tony Abbott has spectacularly walked away from his call for Australia to exit the Paris Climate Agreement, as he came under attack from his independent rival Zali Steggall in their first debate.

The former prime minister said Australia no longer needed to leave the treaty he signed because Scott Morrison did not have an “emissions obsession” and he was confident the country would meet its Paris targets.

“I certainly don’t think we should meeting emissions targets ahead of the economy,” Mr Abbott told the local Warringah electorate debate.

“I am confident based on the government are getting that we can meet our Paris targets without substantially damaging our economy.”

MORE: Malcolm Turnbull attacks Tony Abbott in twitter tirade

But it isn’t. Today the cheapest form of new dispatchable or base load energy is renewables plus storage. We are now able to have lower emissions and lower prices but we need to plan it using engineering & economics rather than ideology and innumerate idiocy

— Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) March 7, 2019

Mr Abbott and Ms Stegall, the former Olympian running against him in the blue-ribbon seat of Warringah. had a number of fiery exchanges in a debate hosted by Sky News’s David Speers.

But it was Mr Abbott’s comments calling for the Snowy Hydro Corporation to consider purchasing a coal-fired power station which invited another voice into the debate — Mr Turnbull.

Mr Abbott said in the debate: “Why not coal-fired power? Coal-fired power remains the cheapest form of baseload power.”

It led Mr Turnbull to tweet from London: “But it isn’t. Today the cheapest form of new dispatchable or base load energy is renewables plus storage.”

“We are now able to have lower emissions and lower prices but we need to plan it using engineering & economics rather than ideology and innumerate idiocy.”

Labor leader Bill Shorten swiftly responded, saying: “Poor old Mr Turnbull, no one has still explained to him why’s he not the prime minister.

“It doesn’t matter what day of the week it is, the Liberal Party still hate each other.”

When asked about Mr Abbott now saying he supports Australia sticking with the Paris Agreement, the Opposition Leader said he did not believe the former prime minister.

“Does anyone seriously believe Tony Abbott believes in climate change?” Mr Shorten asked.

“He’s under pressure in his own seat so all of a sudden he’s a born again leftie on climate change? Spare me.’’

Ms Steggall attacked Mr Abbott on climate change, a long promised Northern Beaches tunnel, and said the people of Warringah wanted to “be represented.”

“The overwhelming issue in the electorate of Warringah is action, and action they can actually believe in,” she said at the debate.

Mr Abbott said Ms Stegall, even on issues they agree on like franking credits, could not be trusted to tackle Labor.

“If you want to stop Labor’s big taxes you’ve got to vote Liberal. Because an independent like Zali is always going to make a deal,” he said.

Immigration fears

Ms Steggall said she was concerned at growing levels of immigration, blunting one of Mr Abbott’s biggest policies.

The former prime minister has long argued for a cut in immigration to allow infrastructure to keep pace.

Ms Steggall said she would “not go as far” as Mr Abbott but that she was also concerned about the pace of infrastructure in relation to population growth after talking to “Millennials.”

Franking credits attack

Ms Steggall and Mr Abbott both attacked Labor candidate for Warringah, Dean Harris, for the ALP’s policy to remove franking credit refunds. Ms Steggall said it was creating uncertainty for retirees.

But the former prime minister still used the issue to attack his main rival in his seat.

“If you want to stop Labor’s big taxes you’ve got to vote Liberal. Because an independent like Zali is always going to make a deal,” he said.

Ms Steggall shook her head in disapproval.