Darren Chester, Damian Drum: Nationals MPs want balance on climate debate

Should ag be exempt from zero carbon emissions by 2050? We’re asking the question as Victoria’s federal Nationals MPs call for balance on climate action.

Gippsland MP Darren Chester and Nicholls MP Damian Drum during Question Time last week. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Victoria’s federal Nationals MPs are united in calling for a more balanced approach on climate action and emissions reductions – warning the party otherwise risks alienating voters down south.

As the party recovers from a damaging leadership spill, backbenchers Anne Webster and Damian Drum have echoed ousted Cabinet minister Darren Chester’s warnings that the Nationals needed to land on an energy policy that appealed to “the coal-rich north” and the “east coast retirement belt”.

The Victorian backbenchers’ views are in contrast to those of Victorian senator Bridget McKenzie, who replaced Mr Chester in Cabinet this week and is among the pro-coal Nationals to have actively argued against setting a net-zero emissions target for 2050.

The federal Nationals party room last week spectacularly dumped Michael McCormack from the leadership and returned Barnaby Joyce as Deputy Prime Minister, following a push from Mr Joyce’s allies who want the party to take a harder stance against a net-zero target.

Mr Joyce soon after said the Nationals would have a “laserlike” focus on coal jobs, and made clear the NSW’s Hunter Region and Central Queensland would be key priorities in the next election.

Gippsland MP Mr Chester wrote in an opinion piece in the Herald Sun yesterday that the Nationals needed to listen to its core constituents such as the National Farmers’ Federation, and face up to the changing demographics of regional electorates.

“If the more hard line Nationals MPs and senators lock into a climate denial agenda, they can wave goodbye to the generation of voters who will decide the future of Australia,” he wrote.

“My community wants reliable, affordable energy but also expects the federal government to deliver policy security and meet our international obligations to reduce emissions and care for our children’s future.”

Mallee MP Dr Webster – who had warned that some voters in her electorate would be “very unimpressed” if Mr Joyce was returned – said she had already requested the new leader “have a more nuanced approach” around net-zero and 2050.

“I’ve had a discussion with the Deputy Prime Minister about some of his retail politics around coal and northern NSW and Queensland, and the fact their issues are not Mallee’s issues,” she said.

“We don’t have coal … we are full of renewables and full of future-thinking technologies being developed and I absolutely welcome them.

“He (Mr Joyce) needs to represent all our electorates and that means you can’t be pushing one agenda.”

Dr Webster said a net-zero target was pointless without a plan of how to achieve it, but that it required a “serious conversation”.

Nicholls MP Mr Drum was in broad agreement with Mr Chester’s op-ed, and bemoaned the fact climate and energy debate had become “so toxic and so political”.

“I find both extremes of the argument as toxic as each other,” he said.

“We need to transition Australia (from coal), but we need to do it in a way that does not leave Australians behind.

“I don’t know why we’re so scared of at least talking about, ‘Can we get to net-zero by 2050?’.”

Their comments come after The Australian today reported Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh and deputy Steph Ryan sought to disaffiliate the state party from the federal party, following Mr Joyce’s ascension.

Dr Webster said she would not support such a motion, calling it unhelpful: “There’s no point in weakening the federal party position.”

Mr Drum declined to comment.