Pauline Hanson’s urgency motion on net zero fails to pass in the Senate

The new Labor senator hit out at Pauline Hanson’s urgency motion to abandon net zero, accusing the One Nation leader of abandoning her generation.

One Nation senator Pauline Hanson has been accused of “completely disregarding” the next generation and farmers by trying to push through an urgency motion calling for Australia to abandon its net zero target.

Senator Hanson, a long-time climate change denier, introduce the motion on Monday following Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce’s private members Bill calling for the same thing.

The motion failed, with just the four One Nation senators, United Australia Party senator Ralph Babet and coalition senators Matt Canavan and Alex Antic voting in favour.

In the debate preceding the vote, Labor’s new senator for South Australia Charlotte Walker fired back at the motion.

“All I can say is, are you kidding?” the 21-year-old told the Senate.

“The motion put forward on net zero indicates a severe lack of knowledge and a complete disregard for the future of our generation, the future of our country.

“Without a net zero target, there will be no Australian farmers, businesses or industries to support us.

“Net zero is waking up to a reality that Senator Hanson has not been able to grasp. In fact, Senator Hanson seems to be hellbent on exacerbating all of the consequences of climate change.”

New Labor senator Charlotte Walker accused One Nation senator Pauline Hanson of abandoning the younger generation with her motion to end net zero. Picture: Martin Ollman / NewsWire

Earlier, Senator Hanson challenged Coalition opponents of net zero to stand up and support her motion.

the Coalition, Senator Hanson said her motion would out opposition “cowards”.

“They’re gutless, you know, they’re cowards,” she told Sky News when asked about the prospect of Coalition senators not backing her motion.

“Because a lot of these people on the floor of parliament have no understanding, cannot debate you about climate change.

“They don’t even know anything about it.

“They’re making decisions and voting on it.”

Nationals senator Matt Canavan voted for Senator Pauline Hanson’s urgency motion to abandon net zero on Monday. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

‘Scam’

She went on to say Australians have “been hoodwinked”.

“It’s a scam going on and if we head down this path, what will happen to Australians?” Senator Hanson said.

“You will be restricted where you travel, where you go, what you eat, and it will be based on your carbon emissions.”

Australia’s renewables targets do not impose restrictions on freedom of movement or diets.

Earlier, Mr Joyce asked Australia’s big-city residents if they are “prepared to hurt the poor” by pursuing a carbon neutral future.

Mr Joyce, who was banished to the backbench after the Coalition’s brief post-election break-up, kicked off the second sitting week of the new parliament by introducing his Repeal Net Zero Bill.

Unless Sussan Ley drastically changes course in rebuilding the Coalition as a moderate opposition, the private member’s bill will not get far.

But as a former Nationals leader, Mr Joyce holds clout within the party and his split from more green-minded Liberal Party colleagues has grown into somewhat of a backbench rebellion.

Nationals heavyweight Barnaby Joyce has asked Australia’s big-city residents if they are ‘prepared to hurt the poor’. Picture: Martin Ollman / NewsWire

Mr Joyce said on Monday there needed to be more give and take between city-living Australians and their rural and regional counterparts, saying there “are certain things” the regions could do but do not “because we’re trying to be reasonable”.

“There’s absolutely no reason that Mascot Airport can’t work 24/7,” he told reporters, flanked by fellow Coalition rebels and disgruntled community members.

“But we understand that people don’t want planes flying over themselves in the middle of the night … but we don’t want transmission lines over our head either.

“We don’t want wind towers either, so there’s got to be a form of good pro quo.”

Mr Joyce said the question “affluent suburbs” needed to be asked was: “Are you prepared to hurt the poor?”

“Are you prepared to hurt them and I don’t think if you really explain the issue that people do want to hurt them,” he said.

“You don’t feel virtuous if you’re hurting people.”

Former Nationals leaders Barnaby Joyce and Michael McCormack are calling for Australia’s net-zero target to be abandoned. Picture: Martin Ollman / NewsWire

Mr Joyce’s Bill proposes to abandon Australia’s carbon-neutral target by 2050.

The target is in line with goals set by other developed economies, but the task has been complicated by rapid energy demands from emerging economies and global disruptions driven by increased conflicts, such as Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Among Mr Joyce’s supporters gathered outside Parliament House was fellow former Nationals leader Michael McCormack, another hefty voice in the party.

Liberal MP Garth Hamilton also joined him, making him the only member of the senior Coalition partner to do so.

Originally published as Pauline Hanson’s urgency motion on net zero fails to pass in the Senate