Right-wing group targets ‘weakling' Liberals, as Hastie pushes Ley to dump net zero
As Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie doubled down on his opposition to the 2050 climate pledge, campaign group Advance, formerly known as Advance Australia, is making the tensions over Coalition energy policy its focus after the opposition's election drubbing.
Advance has been soliciting donations and urging thousands of supporters to target MPs who back the 2050 climate goal, despite the Coalition losing nearly all its city-based seats where climate change is of concern to voters.
'Politicians of all sides, from Labor to the climate weaklings in the Liberal Party and Nationals, have come out and thrown their support behind this destructive policy,' Advance said in an email sent on Friday.
'We're building a NATIONWIDE pressure campaign forcing the politicians in Canberra to LISTEN. Not just Labor. It's the Net Zero suck-ups in the Liberal Party and Nationals, too.
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'Our message is simple: Dump Net Zero, or we dump YOU.'
Advance secured $15.6 million in donations during the 2023-24 financial year. It is associated with the right flank of the Liberal Party and employs former party operatives.
Its claims of election-shifting influence have previously been questioned, but its attention-grabbing style and populist appeal have threatened Coalition fundraising and volunteer networks.
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