Opposition Leader Sussan Ley rethinks climate policy amid net zero climate target uncertainty

Sky News AU

29-05-2025

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley told Sky News on Thursday that removing the nuclear moratorium would be the Coalition's 'first step' in a broader energy reset.
Ms Ley said that the opposition would 'take the time to get this right' on energy and climate policy after appointing her new shadow energy minister Dan Tehan.
The comments followed a press conference on Wednesday in which Ms Ley again stopped short of reaffirming a commitment to net zero.
Ms Ley instead emphasised the need for a 'broad' review of the opposition's energy policy and said she would not pursue net zero 'at any cost'.
'We have to play—as a country—our part in the global response to climate change,' she told reporters at Parliament House on Wednesday.
'Net zero, Paris targets, gas—all of the resources conversations around critical minerals, they're all part of that.
'We have to get this right. We have to play our part, but we have to make sure that we don't do it at any cost.'
Notably, Ms Ley left former shadow finance minister Jane Hume out of her cabinet, after she had called on her party to keep net zero.
The Nationals nominally reaffirmed support for net zero by 2050 but leader David Littleproud confirmed that the commitment is now under review.
'In our culture of our party room … members are free to come forward and either bring new policy or challenge existing policies,' Mr Littleproud said.
'We support net zero by 2050. That was the position we took to the election … but we've made it very clear that that was one of the policies in which we would review.'
Adding to the perception of a pivot, the Coalition's new frontbench has dropped the word 'climate change' from the title of the shadow energy portfolio.
Mr Tehan was appointed shadow minister for energy and emissions reduction on Wednesday, as opposed to shadow minister for energy and climate change.
'I actually just look at the substance of what's going on and the policy areas. And don't get hung up on the titles,' Ms Ley said when asked about the change.
In a media release, Mr Tehan attacked Energy and Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen for failing to meet Labor's pledge to reduce power bills by $275 by 2025.
'It is as clear as day that Minister Bowen has failed to deliver on that promise,' Mr Tehan said.
'Instead, the Australian Energy Regulator has confirmed Australian households are paying up to $1,300 more for their electricity than promised.'
Mr Tehan argued Labor's 'renewables only agenda' was 'ideologically-driven' and 'running roughshod over local communities'.
He said the Coalition would now develop an energy plan based on 'scientific endeavour, technology and innovation in all areas of energy production'.
The post-election Coalition negotiations also revealed tension between the Liberal and National parties on climate policy.
While the final agreement did not include any formal demand by the Nationals to dump the net zero target, several Nationals backbenchers have publicly rejected it.
Nationals Senator Matt Canavan told Sky News the Coalition must 'get off this ridiculous pursuit of net zero emissions', labelling it an 'arbitrary and abstract goal.'
'I wish my colleagues all the best, but while we remain committed to this crazy net zero emissions column, I'm not going to serve,' he said.
'If we dump this ridiculous goal, I'll do what I can to serve the team and the country in what are the any role people think I'm capable of.'
Former Nationals leaders Barnaby Joyce and Michael McCormack—left off Mr Littleproud's frontbench—have publicly criticised the target.
Also, Liberal Party figures, including shadow home affairs minister Andrew Hastie and senator Alex Antic, have argued agains the net zero target.
'We'll have those discussions inside the policy development process … we have to get this right,' Ms Ley said.