Nationals net-zero pushback intensifies, Littleproud open to dropping policy

The Advertiser

4 days ago

Nationals leader David Littleproud has revealed he is "definitely" willing to flip the party's support for a 2050 net-zero emissions target while the renewable rollout is "tearing families apart" across regional communities.
The revelation follows former Nationals leader Michael McCormack lending his support to a private members' bill being proposed by another former party leader in Barnaby Joyce to repeal legislation mandating greenhouse gas reduction goals.
The tinderbox situation may see a new chapter in the nation's climate wars written as both Coalition partners continue to separately review their emissions and energy policies following the May 3 election bloodbath.
However, Mr Littleproud stressed the party position adopted during the Morrison government was no longer set in stone prior to receiving the research being put together by Queensland senator Matt Canavan, a coal mining advocate who has steadfastly opposed net-zero.
"I'm open ... I wanted to make sure we do this calmly and methodically, and understanding the human toll, the economic toll and the social toll this is having on our communities," Mr Littleproud said on Wednesday.
"I think net zero unfortunately, has become something about trying to achieve the impossible rather than actually doing what's sensible, and we're bearing the burden of that."
The comments follow news that the Clean Energy Council has thrown down the gauntlet to its 1000-odd member organisations in declaring that the industry must "redouble" its attempts to win community support and social license from regional Australians being asked to host large-scale wind and solar renewable projects.
In a four-page letter sent to members, the peak lobby group's 10-member board said the rollout of the energy transition across the regions had so far produced "a mixed reaction from those communities".
Meanwhile, it is unknown how the Coalition Agreement could work, or even survive, given there was already a week-long split after the election, should the Nationals drop net zero and a Liberal Party, desperately needing to win back inner-city seats to reform government, voted to retain it.
Mr Joyce further stirred the pot in revealing that he "did not vote for net zero" in any previous party room vote, while Mr McCormack said he only backed the policy in 2021 to allay producer fears that Australia might be hit with international trade barriers if it did not adopt the target.
"But the world has changed," the Riverina MP said.
New Liberal leader Sussan Ley has not put a timeframe on when her party room would finalise its emission reductions and net-zero position, but provided some pointers to its substance in saying the nation should "play its part" in reducing emissions while needing to ensure a reliable and stable domestic energy grid.
The policy will be significantly informed by an energy working group being led by opposition energy spokesman Dan Tehan.
A Peter Dutton-led Coalition went to the May 3 election advocating for an energy sector transition underpinned by the rollout of up to seven nuclear power plants across Australia.
Mr Tehan recently told ACM that the Coalition intends to "look at all aspects" of the terrain before bedding down a net-zero by 2050 policy, from weighing up its assessment of the economy-wide impacts of Labor's renewable rollout to "the cost of doing nothing".
While Mr Joyce's proposed "Repeal Net Zero Bill 2025" does not have a chance of succeeding given Labor's majority and presumed opposition from the Greens and crossbench, the New England MP said people in the regions were "furious".
"You get to understand the sort of fury that (people) have in regional areas," he said.
While Mr Tehan likened Mr Joyce and Mr McCormack, who also placed a question mark over Mr Littleproud's leadership, to "two steers in a paddock", Nationals senator for NSW Ross Cadell told the ABC that his colleagues were "espousing the views of their electorates, which people come (to parliament) to do."
"Michael is really concerned by the number of wind towers and the things around Yass that are going up, and how that affects his farmers," he said.
"Barnaby is the same ... one thing we do know, and I agree with them very much on, is (the rollout) can be done better.
"It is really hurting regional communities. When you see acres and acres of roofs without solar panels in the cities, we should be doing more there and having less effect on the regions for a start.
"Social license has to happen. It is not happening and you are seeing increasingly these communities rise up because it is not being done the right way."
Meanwhile, Liberal senator Jane Hume told media on Wednesday that "over and over" the electorate has indicated that it wants emission reduction policies.
"We need to be able to take the politics out of the issue," she said.
"And say, how do we get to a net-zero energy future, and reduce emissions, but at the same time maintain our prosperity?"
Nationals leader David Littleproud has revealed he is "definitely" willing to flip the party's support for a 2050 net-zero emissions target while the renewable rollout is "tearing families apart" across regional communities.
The revelation follows former Nationals leader Michael McCormack lending his support to a private members' bill being proposed by another former party leader in Barnaby Joyce to repeal legislation mandating greenhouse gas reduction goals.
The tinderbox situation may see a new chapter in the nation's climate wars written as both Coalition partners continue to separately review their emissions and energy policies following the May 3 election bloodbath.
However, Mr Littleproud stressed the party position adopted during the Morrison government was no longer set in stone prior to receiving the research being put together by Queensland senator Matt Canavan, a coal mining advocate who has steadfastly opposed net-zero.
"I'm open ... I wanted to make sure we do this calmly and methodically, and understanding the human toll, the economic toll and the social toll this is having on our communities," Mr Littleproud said on Wednesday.
"I think net zero unfortunately, has become something about trying to achieve the impossible rather than actually doing what's sensible, and we're bearing the burden of that."
The comments follow news that the Clean Energy Council has thrown down the gauntlet to its 1000-odd member organisations in declaring that the industry must "redouble" its attempts to win community support and social license from regional Australians being asked to host large-scale wind and solar renewable projects.
In a four-page letter sent to members, the peak lobby group's 10-member board said the rollout of the energy transition across the regions had so far produced "a mixed reaction from those communities".
Meanwhile, it is unknown how the Coalition Agreement could work, or even survive, given there was already a week-long split after the election, should the Nationals drop net zero and a Liberal Party, desperately needing to win back inner-city seats to reform government, voted to retain it.
Mr Joyce further stirred the pot in revealing that he "did not vote for net zero" in any previous party room vote, while Mr McCormack said he only backed the policy in 2021 to allay producer fears that Australia might be hit with international trade barriers if it did not adopt the target.
"But the world has changed," the Riverina MP said.
New Liberal leader Sussan Ley has not put a timeframe on when her party room would finalise its emission reductions and net-zero position, but provided some pointers to its substance in saying the nation should "play its part" in reducing emissions while needing to ensure a reliable and stable domestic energy grid.
The policy will be significantly informed by an energy working group being led by opposition energy spokesman Dan Tehan.
A Peter Dutton-led Coalition went to the May 3 election advocating for an energy sector transition underpinned by the rollout of up to seven nuclear power plants across Australia.
Mr Tehan recently told ACM that the Coalition intends to "look at all aspects" of the terrain before bedding down a net-zero by 2050 policy, from weighing up its assessment of the economy-wide impacts of Labor's renewable rollout to "the cost of doing nothing".
While Mr Joyce's proposed "Repeal Net Zero Bill 2025" does not have a chance of succeeding given Labor's majority and presumed opposition from the Greens and crossbench, the New England MP said people in the regions were "furious".
"You get to understand the sort of fury that (people) have in regional areas," he said.
While Mr Tehan likened Mr Joyce and Mr McCormack, who also placed a question mark over Mr Littleproud's leadership, to "two steers in a paddock", Nationals senator for NSW Ross Cadell told the ABC that his colleagues were "espousing the views of their electorates, which people come (to parliament) to do."
"Michael is really concerned by the number of wind towers and the things around Yass that are going up, and how that affects his farmers," he said.
"Barnaby is the same ... one thing we do know, and I agree with them very much on, is (the rollout) can be done better.
"It is really hurting regional communities. When you see acres and acres of roofs without solar panels in the cities, we should be doing more there and having less effect on the regions for a start.
"Social license has to happen. It is not happening and you are seeing increasingly these communities rise up because it is not being done the right way."
Meanwhile, Liberal senator Jane Hume told media on Wednesday that "over and over" the electorate has indicated that it wants emission reduction policies.
"We need to be able to take the politics out of the issue," she said.
"And say, how do we get to a net-zero energy future, and reduce emissions, but at the same time maintain our prosperity?"
Nationals leader David Littleproud has revealed he is "definitely" willing to flip the party's support for a 2050 net-zero emissions target while the renewable rollout is "tearing families apart" across regional communities.
The revelation follows former Nationals leader Michael McCormack lending his support to a private members' bill being proposed by another former party leader in Barnaby Joyce to repeal legislation mandating greenhouse gas reduction goals.
The tinderbox situation may see a new chapter in the nation's climate wars written as both Coalition partners continue to separately review their emissions and energy policies following the May 3 election bloodbath.
However, Mr Littleproud stressed the party position adopted during the Morrison government was no longer set in stone prior to receiving the research being put together by Queensland senator Matt Canavan, a coal mining advocate who has steadfastly opposed net-zero.
"I'm open ... I wanted to make sure we do this calmly and methodically, and understanding the human toll, the economic toll and the social toll this is having on our communities," Mr Littleproud said on Wednesday.
"I think net zero unfortunately, has become something about trying to achieve the impossible rather than actually doing what's sensible, and we're bearing the burden of that."
The comments follow news that the Clean Energy Council has thrown down the gauntlet to its 1000-odd member organisations in declaring that the industry must "redouble" its attempts to win community support and social license from regional Australians being asked to host large-scale wind and solar renewable projects.
In a four-page letter sent to members, the peak lobby group's 10-member board said the rollout of the energy transition across the regions had so far produced "a mixed reaction from those communities".
Meanwhile, it is unknown how the Coalition Agreement could work, or even survive, given there was already a week-long split after the election, should the Nationals drop net zero and a Liberal Party, desperately needing to win back inner-city seats to reform government, voted to retain it.
Mr Joyce further stirred the pot in revealing that he "did not vote for net zero" in any previous party room vote, while Mr McCormack said he only backed the policy in 2021 to allay producer fears that Australia might be hit with international trade barriers if it did not adopt the target.
"But the world has changed," the Riverina MP said.
New Liberal leader Sussan Ley has not put a timeframe on when her party room would finalise its emission reductions and net-zero position, but provided some pointers to its substance in saying the nation should "play its part" in reducing emissions while needing to ensure a reliable and stable domestic energy grid.
The policy will be significantly informed by an energy working group being led by opposition energy spokesman Dan Tehan.
A Peter Dutton-led Coalition went to the May 3 election advocating for an energy sector transition underpinned by the rollout of up to seven nuclear power plants across Australia.
Mr Tehan recently told ACM that the Coalition intends to "look at all aspects" of the terrain before bedding down a net-zero by 2050 policy, from weighing up its assessment of the economy-wide impacts of Labor's renewable rollout to "the cost of doing nothing".
While Mr Joyce's proposed "Repeal Net Zero Bill 2025" does not have a chance of succeeding given Labor's majority and presumed opposition from the Greens and crossbench, the New England MP said people in the regions were "furious".
"You get to understand the sort of fury that (people) have in regional areas," he said.
While Mr Tehan likened Mr Joyce and Mr McCormack, who also placed a question mark over Mr Littleproud's leadership, to "two steers in a paddock", Nationals senator for NSW Ross Cadell told the ABC that his colleagues were "espousing the views of their electorates, which people come (to parliament) to do."
"Michael is really concerned by the number of wind towers and the things around Yass that are going up, and how that affects his farmers," he said.
"Barnaby is the same ... one thing we do know, and I agree with them very much on, is (the rollout) can be done better.
"It is really hurting regional communities. When you see acres and acres of roofs without solar panels in the cities, we should be doing more there and having less effect on the regions for a start.
"Social license has to happen. It is not happening and you are seeing increasingly these communities rise up because it is not being done the right way."
Meanwhile, Liberal senator Jane Hume told media on Wednesday that "over and over" the electorate has indicated that it wants emission reduction policies.
"We need to be able to take the politics out of the issue," she said.
"And say, how do we get to a net-zero energy future, and reduce emissions, but at the same time maintain our prosperity?"
Nationals leader David Littleproud has revealed he is "definitely" willing to flip the party's support for a 2050 net-zero emissions target while the renewable rollout is "tearing families apart" across regional communities.
The revelation follows former Nationals leader Michael McCormack lending his support to a private members' bill being proposed by another former party leader in Barnaby Joyce to repeal legislation mandating greenhouse gas reduction goals.
The tinderbox situation may see a new chapter in the nation's climate wars written as both Coalition partners continue to separately review their emissions and energy policies following the May 3 election bloodbath.
However, Mr Littleproud stressed the party position adopted during the Morrison government was no longer set in stone prior to receiving the research being put together by Queensland senator Matt Canavan, a coal mining advocate who has steadfastly opposed net-zero.
"I'm open ... I wanted to make sure we do this calmly and methodically, and understanding the human toll, the economic toll and the social toll this is having on our communities," Mr Littleproud said on Wednesday.
"I think net zero unfortunately, has become something about trying to achieve the impossible rather than actually doing what's sensible, and we're bearing the burden of that."
The comments follow news that the Clean Energy Council has thrown down the gauntlet to its 1000-odd member organisations in declaring that the industry must "redouble" its attempts to win community support and social license from regional Australians being asked to host large-scale wind and solar renewable projects.
In a four-page letter sent to members, the peak lobby group's 10-member board said the rollout of the energy transition across the regions had so far produced "a mixed reaction from those communities".
Meanwhile, it is unknown how the Coalition Agreement could work, or even survive, given there was already a week-long split after the election, should the Nationals drop net zero and a Liberal Party, desperately needing to win back inner-city seats to reform government, voted to retain it.
Mr Joyce further stirred the pot in revealing that he "did not vote for net zero" in any previous party room vote, while Mr McCormack said he only backed the policy in 2021 to allay producer fears that Australia might be hit with international trade barriers if it did not adopt the target.
"But the world has changed," the Riverina MP said.
New Liberal leader Sussan Ley has not put a timeframe on when her party room would finalise its emission reductions and net-zero position, but provided some pointers to its substance in saying the nation should "play its part" in reducing emissions while needing to ensure a reliable and stable domestic energy grid.
The policy will be significantly informed by an energy working group being led by opposition energy spokesman Dan Tehan.
A Peter Dutton-led Coalition went to the May 3 election advocating for an energy sector transition underpinned by the rollout of up to seven nuclear power plants across Australia.
Mr Tehan recently told ACM that the Coalition intends to "look at all aspects" of the terrain before bedding down a net-zero by 2050 policy, from weighing up its assessment of the economy-wide impacts of Labor's renewable rollout to "the cost of doing nothing".
While Mr Joyce's proposed "Repeal Net Zero Bill 2025" does not have a chance of succeeding given Labor's majority and presumed opposition from the Greens and crossbench, the New England MP said people in the regions were "furious".
"You get to understand the sort of fury that (people) have in regional areas," he said.
While Mr Tehan likened Mr Joyce and Mr McCormack, who also placed a question mark over Mr Littleproud's leadership, to "two steers in a paddock", Nationals senator for NSW Ross Cadell told the ABC that his colleagues were "espousing the views of their electorates, which people come (to parliament) to do."
"Michael is really concerned by the number of wind towers and the things around Yass that are going up, and how that affects his farmers," he said.
"Barnaby is the same ... one thing we do know, and I agree with them very much on, is (the rollout) can be done better.
"It is really hurting regional communities. When you see acres and acres of roofs without solar panels in the cities, we should be doing more there and having less effect on the regions for a start.
"Social license has to happen. It is not happening and you are seeing increasingly these communities rise up because it is not being done the right way."
Meanwhile, Liberal senator Jane Hume told media on Wednesday that "over and over" the electorate has indicated that it wants emission reduction policies.
"We need to be able to take the politics out of the issue," she said.
"And say, how do we get to a net-zero energy future, and reduce emissions, but at the same time maintain our prosperity?"