Liberals Forge New Path on Climate and Energy
The Liberal Party is on the verge of announcing a significant shift in its climate change and energy approach after a marathon meeting of its MPs and senators in Canberra. The party's shadow cabinet is scheduled to convene on Thursday morning to put the final touches on the policy, with a public announcement expected shortly after.
Intense Discussions Shape Party Direction
This decisive move comes after hours of talks involving all 51 Liberal parliamentarians. Sources within the room indicated that a majority of members voiced support for ditching Australia's legislated goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. While Opposition energy spokesman Dan Tehan remained tight-lipped on the specifics, he confirmed that every member had the opportunity to contribute to the passionate debate.
'There were very, very passionate discussions in the room, because energy and emissions reduction is an issue that everyone cares deeply about,' Mr Tehan told reporters on Wednesday.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, whose leadership has faced pressure during the policy formulation, described the meeting as 'excellent'. She did not, however, confirm whether a unanimous position had been reached among her colleagues.
Ten Principles Guide New Policy Framework
Mr Tehan did reveal a list of ten principles that will underpin Thursday's final decision. Among these, two are considered foundational: ensuring the nation's power supply remains stable and affordable, while still taking some action to reduce emissions.
The proposed principles signal a dramatic change in direction, including a pledge to extend the life of ageing coal power plants for as long as possible. The policy also advocates for lifting the current ban on nuclear power and scrapping a series of Labor policies that Liberal MPs have labelled as 'sneaky carbon taxes'.
While the party is widely expected to retain an aspirational goal of reaching net zero emissions at some future point, it will not be tied to the 2050 deadline currently enshrined in law.
Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who originally signed Australia up to the Paris climate agreement, expressed his encouragement for the Liberals' new approach. 'You should never put cutting emissions ahead of saving jobs, keeping industries and trying to make people's cost of living affordable,' he stated in an interview with Sky News.
Echoing the sentiment from within the party room, Western Sydney Liberal Melissa McIntosh said the discussions were positive and she hoped her colleagues would formally abandon the net zero target. 'It felt like in the room there was more people in agreement (with dumping net zero) than against,' she told ABC TV.
Once the Liberal Party confirms its own policy, it must still negotiate a shared position with its coalition partner, the Nationals. A joint party room meeting has been scheduled for Sunday, where the political allies are anticipated to announce a final, unified deal on this critical issue.
