Majority of Liberals call for net zero to be junked at party showdown
Twenty-eight Liberal MPs have demanded the party scrap its net zero policy during an extraordinary five-hour meeting that has threatened to split the Coalition and destabilise Sussan Ley’s leadership.
The Liberal Party is set to abandon its commitment to net zero after a clear majority of MPs and senators – including many of Sussan Ley’s key frontbenchers – pushed to dump the policy during a marathon party room meeting.
However, moderates have warned the move could be disastrous for the party at the polls, with one MP saying while the next election was “a long time away”, the loss of more seats was “well within the realms of possibility”.
“The old theory where you claw back some seats each time the government annoys everyone doesn’t appear to apply anymore,” they said, looking at Labor’s consistent victories in Victoria and South Australia”.
The Opposition Leader and Coalition energy spokesman Dan Tehan will announce the party’s formal position tomorrow, following a meeting of the Liberal shadow ministry.
However an MP noted it was “highly likely” the party would reject net zero.
The Daily Telegraph understands 28 Liberals spoke in favour of dumping net zero at the Wednesday party room meeting, including Ms Ley’s deputy Ted O’Brien and senior frontbenchers Michaelia Cash, Angus Taylor, Alex Hawke, Melissa McIntosh, James Paterson, and Andrew Wallace.
Seventeen Liberals – including frontbenchers Andrew Bragg, Anne Ruston, and Tim Wilson – spoke against dumping the policy, with four Liberals failing to express a clear position.
Notably, Mr Taylor and fellow conservative Andrew Hastie – tipped as the two likeliest successors to Ms Ley – arrived at the meeting side-by-side, flanked by over a dozen right faction allies.
One Liberal MP told The Daily Telegraph the delegation showed the right was “unified” in wanting to “kill net zero and proceed in a totally different direction”, with a second MP suggesting Ms Ley has “done herself more harm than good by dragging it out”.
A senior moderate joked that “the only thing that could have made the right’s performance today more symbolic would’ve been a lettuce under someone’s arm” – in a reference to a livestream of an iceberg lettuce run by a British newspaper in the dying days of former Prime Minister Liz Truss’ leadership.
Another MP noted Mr Taylor’s contribution appeared to be throwing “red meat to the base,” which spoke to his leadership ambitions.
While unlikely, moderates are still arguing for net zero to be kept as an aspiration.
One noted: “If we say we don’t need net zero but still stay in Paris, that’s insane”.
According to a source, Tim Wilson, who has been vocal on sovereign targets, told the room: “One bad bushfire season and it inflames again, we don’t know what we’re playing with but we know that there are bushfires”.
Members also criticised the process of being slow-moving, with one member stating: “We should have probably done more in previous sitting weeks”.
Ms Ley, who faces growing consternation from both the left and right flanks of the party, told reporters the meeting went “really well”.
“The shadow ministry will convene tomorrow to resolve our final position,” she said told reporters.
“But it was an excellent meeting, and terrific to hear from all of my Liberal Party colleagues.”
Mr Tehan described the contributions as “passionate” and said there was unanimous agreement that policy principles needed to boost affordability and reliability of the grid, while “reducing emissions in a responsible, transparent way that ensures Australia does its fair share”.
Lib MP, Canavan trade barbs
Earlier in the day, Tim Wilson and Nationals senator Matt Canavan traded barbs on X after Mr Wilson said his party could either be “Nationals-lite” or “choose hope” and back a “sovereign target”.
Today is going to be a great day. Liberals face a choice:
— Tim Wilson (@TimWilsonMP) November 11, 2025
We can be Nationals-lite & outsource our emissions policy to globalists.
Or we can lead, choose hope, a sovereign target, build energy, reindustrialise Australia & back small business!
Welcome to Liberal country.
Mr Canavan wrote back: “I don’t care how you rationalise it Tim. Just dump net zero and let’s take up the fight for a change!”
Mr Tehan described the contributions as “passionate” and said there was unanimous agreement that policy principles needed to boost affordability and reliability of the grid, while “reducing emissions in a responsible, transparent way that ensures Australia does its fair share”.
While the party is not expected to spill its first female leader, a whispering campaign has intensified since the Nationals announced it would scrap net zero 11 days ago.
“If it gets to a crisis point, if Sussan has misread the room and the future of the Coalition is at stake, her leadership would become intolerable,” one Liberal said.
Amid the Liberal Party civil war, Jim Chalmers took a shot at his opponents and said, “The Coalition’s extremism is not just some phase, it’s a permanent state”.
“They’re hopelessly divided, recklessly divisive and a danger to our economy,” he said.
“The position they’re determining this week would weaken our economy, cost jobs and investment and push up power prices.
“Cleaner, cheaper more reliable and increasingly renewable energy is the best way to grow and strengthen our economy into the future and we call on the Coalition not to sacrifice that to their right wing extremism.”
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Originally published as Majority of Liberals call for net zero to be junked at party showdown
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