Australian news and politics live: Taylor ‘not focused’ on leadership challenge as Ley weighs net zero

The US Senate is expected to commence a vote within hours that would see the Government reopened.

The vote revolves around a compromised funding package, which Mr Trump says he supports.

However, as hopes that the US Government will reopen rise, some Democrats remain steadfast that the compromise is not enough and, in turn, say they will not vote for the revised package.

“We’re going to do in the House what we always do and that is a deliberative process. We’re going to have to find consensus on whatever, whatever the proposal is,” House Speaker Mike Johnson told CNN.

“As you know, I do not guarantee the outcome of legislation or dates or deadlines or anything.”

A compromise climate policy being mulled by the Liberals would put Australia in breach of its international obligations and risk legal consequences, experts say.

Ahead of a crucial meeting of Liberal MPs and senators on Wednesday, party insiders say they’re likely to agree to water down Australia’s climate ambition if they return to government while retaining a commitment to reaching net-zero carbon emissions at some point.

Australia signed up to the Paris accord in 2015 under then-prime minister Tony Abbott, promising to limit its greenhouse gas emissions as part of a global push to tackle global warming.

Six years later, the Morrison Government set a target of net zero emissions by 2050, and Labor has since set more ambitious climate goals including a 62 to 70 per cent reduction in carbon pollution by 2035.

University of Queensland climate and environmental law expert Justine Bell-James said any move to weaken Australia’s targets would be in breach of the Paris accord.

“Under the Paris agreement countries have to make these pledges every five years. Because of this mechanism that they call the ratchet mechanism, each successive one needs to be an increase in ambition,” Professor Bell-James told AAP.

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Shadow defence minister Angus Taylor has been forced to reveal if he is planning on challenging Sussan Ley for leadership of the Opposition, as the embattled leader of the Coalition prepares to hand down a controversial decision over net zero.

“It’s not something I’m focused on. I’m focused on what I just described. I’m focused on making sure Australians have what they need to have an affordable life, a better standard of living,” Mr Taylor told Nine.

“I’m focused on making sure we’ve got the policies we need coming together to hold this Government to account and to be contestable at the next election.”

Mr Taylor would not be drawn on what net zero decision Ms Ley would hand down, however, added: “I am very confident we will move to apply Liberal values to solve the problem of getting emissions down and, most importantly, making sure that life is affordable again for Australians”

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