Energy Minister Chris Bowen says Barnaby Joyce and Michael McCormack’s net zero protest a ‘dream ticket’ to turf David Littleproud

Energy Minister Chris Bowen has jumped on a home goal kicked by “virile” Nationals MPs Barnaby Joyce and Michael McCormack, as the Coalition faces a standoff against net zero targets. With the opposition stalled on a recommitment to Australia reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050 until a policy review, Mr McCormack has issued a warning shot to party leaders, saying he would unite with his unlikely ally Mr Joyce on opposing the goal. Two pair had tussled for the regional party’s top job, taking turns at the Nationals leadership before current leader David Littleproud ascended in 2022. The pair’s position on net zero has raised questions over Mr Littleproud’s leadership. Speaking to Sky News moments before the first question time of the 48th parliament, Mr McCormack hit back at comments put forward by the Coalition’s energy spokesman. “Dan Tehan this morning calling me a steer and Barnaby a steer – we’re not gelded, we’re not emasculated,” he said. “We’re very much virile and out there.” A mere few hours later, Mr Bowen took aim from the dispatch box during question time. “The member for Riverina said on the Kieran Gilbert show, ‘We’re virile and we’re out there,’ the member for New England and member for Riverina,” Mr Bowen said. “That this is not his Tinder profile, this is his dream ticket. He’s not looking to swipe right, he’s looking to swipe out the member for Maranoa, is what he’s trying to do. “But they’re … really betraying people in rural and regional Australia, they are the ones who pay the price of drought and flood which will be more common and severe under climate change.” Mr Bowen’s comments was one of the more noteworthy moments from the hour-long display of political theatre, formally known as question time. It was also Sussan Ley first as Opposition Leader, with the Coalition attempting to lob knives poised for Labor’s ailing 1.2 million housing target and controversial superannuation tax. Dressed in a powder pink pants suit, Ms Ley stared down the Prime Minister and his army of 94 Labor MPs who spilt onto chamber benches normally reserved for the crossbench. The National Housing Accords were in her sights, with the promise to build 1.2 million homes by mid-2029 already lagging by about 55,000 following its first year. “The Liberal Party I lead will always champion policies to help more Australians into a home of their own but under Labor the homeownership dream has never been further out of reach,” she said, asking the first question. “With leaked Treasury advice confirming this is a broken promise, will the Prime Minister abandon his failing policies and work constructively with the Coalition to address Labor’s housing crisis?” Criticism of Labor’s plan to hit superannuation balances of more than $3m with a 30 per cent tax was also prosecuted, with the Coalition attacking the government over the proposal to hit unrealised capital gains. However, Mr Albanese, wearing a dark suit and dark blue tie, returned fire saying the tax would rebalance the superannuation system and only affect 0.5 per cent of accounts, while also quipping: “The time to launch a scare campaign is before an election”. Elsewhere, Labor’s majority was on full display. In an unsubtle but effective reminder to the Coalition and the Greens’ sole lower house stalwart, Ryan MP Elizabeth Watson-Brown, Labor’s Dorothy Dixers – the questions asked by government MPs to ministers – were all delivered by the MPs who turfed out a sitting Liberal or Greens MP. In order of appearance, they included Dickson’s Ali France, Melbourne’s Sarah Witty, Griffith’s Renee Coffey, Emma Comer of Petrie, Gabriel Ng in Menzies, Hughes MP David Moncrieff, Jess Teesdale from Bass, Sturt’s Claire Clutterham, Banks MP Zhi Soon, Deakin’s Matt Greg, and Braddon’s Anne Urquhart. And should Labor chose to continue its ‘up yours’ to the other side on Thursday, it still has another six newbie MPs in the line-up.