Net zero: Sussan Ley faces mounting pressure on environment laws and climate policy

Sussan Ley is under pressure internally and externally to land a deal on environmental laws as her party looks increasingly likely to water down its commitment to cutting emissions.

The Liberal leader will now bring her party room together in Canberra next Wednesday to agree on its climate and energy policy.

A virtual joint meeting with the Nationals will follow on Sunday, November 16, to seek a Coalition position.

It comes after the Nationals last weekend decided Australia shouldn’t pursue a target to reach net zero emissions by 2050 – cutting emissions as far as possible and offsetting those that can’t be eliminated – and should slow its rate of emission cuts by about half to be in line with the OECD average.

The Liberals are widely expected to also drop the commitment to net zero by 2050, although possibly still train the target for some time in the second half of the century, and focus on power prices.

Former environment minister Tanya Plibersek labelled the Nationals “extremists” for abandoning net zero despite what business, agriculture and industry bodies want.

“The people who don’t back net zero are the extremists of the National Party and they’re dragging half the Liberal Party with them,” she said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s assessment was that “the modern Liberal Party is not so much a broad church these days as a temple of doom”.

Amid the chaos over net zero, the Opposition is locked into negotiations with the Government on the overhaul of environmental laws.

Senior figures are urging Ms Ley and shadow minister Angie Bell to strike a deal, worried that if they oppose environmental protections it will look like the party hates all things green.

But this isn’t universal, with another Liberal saying they didn’t think the party had the capacity to think that strategically at the moment.

“We’re very keen to do a deal,” another senior figure said, a view that was echoed by four others in the party.

Shadow finance minister James Paterson said the Opposition had real concerns about the laws, “but we are willing to negotiate constructively in the national interest to land this in a bipartisan place”.

Separately, South Australian senator Andrew McLachlan – who crossed the floor last week to back a David Pocock bill calling for stronger climate action – said he didn’t think the idea of a trade-off would convince anyone who wanted his party to be serious about conservation.

“The suggestion that agreeing to this bill somehow ameliorates the terrible look of backing out of net zero, it’s simply not the case,” he told The Nightly.

“If you don’t support the net zero target, the public suspect that you’re a climate denier. The best way forward is to heed the wisdom of the WA State Liberal leader.”

WA Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas on Wednesday said that “only a mug” would walk away from net zero.

His quotes also got an airing during Federal Question Time from Resources Minister Madeleine King.

“It really is quite a thing those opposite decide to reject net zero and therefore reject what the resources sector knows is best for this country,” she said.

Ms Bell later asked the Minister about Premier Roger Cook’s stance on the environmental laws.

“Yesterday, the West Australian Premier Roger Cook was wandering around Parliament pleading with every Minister who would listen to please, please, please, not cave into the Labor-left dominated backbench on the EPBC bills. Will the minister listen to the Premier of her own state about critical minerals or her left-wing backbench here in Canberra?” she asked, to incredulous laughter from the Labor benches.

Leader of the House Tony Burke pointed out Mr Cook was “someone who has been a member of the Left for 40 years”.

Ms King shot back that it was Labor’s backbenchers who were working towards a system that helped the environment as well as industry.

“They don’t want to talk about it, they don’t want to help the resources sector, they sure don’t want to help the environment,” she said.

“We will represent your communities because you are clearly not doing it … while you just vacillate in division and chaos for as long as you choose.”

Parliament’s bells rang near-constantly calling MPs to votes on Thursday as the package of seven bills made their way through the lower house.

Environment Minister Murray Watt will hold further negotiations early next week with Ms Bell and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young, still aiming to reach a deal before Parliament returns at the end of November.

He said their positions were now clearer to him and continued to be confident of finding a compromise with one side.

A Labor-backed campaign that has seen 5982 people email Liberals and Greens to support the bill is expected to ramp up over coming weeks.

Minerals Council of Australia chief executive Tania Constable weighed into the debate publicly for the first time on Thursday, offering a qualified endorsement of the laws in a message aimed squarely at getting the Coalition to come on board.

“Provided the concerns of industry can be met, the bill should be passed as soon as possible,” she said.

The Business Council of Australia and other business groups have made similar comments.