Liberal senator Maria Kovacic has urged Coalition MPs to stop questioning climate science and fully back net zero emissions by 2050, warning that failure to do so risks alienating voters and harming both the environment and economy.
Speaking on Guardian Australia's Australian Politics podcast, Kovacic, the newly appointed shadow assistant minister to opposition leader Sussan Ley, said the Coalition must maintain support for the net zero target first agreed by the former Morrison government. 'It’s real, and our job is now to determine how we’re going to reduce emissions and ensure that we don’t leave a significant problem for future generations,' she said.
However, some Coalition MPs, including Nationals Matt Canavan and Barnaby Joyce and Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie, have questioned net zero plans ahead of a policy review ordered by Ley. Shadow energy minister Dan Tehan has indicated that financial costs may influence whether the Coalition abandons the target.
Kovacic described climate action as both an environmental and economic imperative, highlighting Australia's potential to become a global leader in solar and wind energy. 'Let’s find a solution that ensures we get our emissions down and we have clean and cheap energy,' she said.
She called for respectful discussions within the party room, warning that if the Coalition does not listen to voters on climate, 'it’s not going to get better for us. It will get worse.' Former prime minister Scott Morrison also reiterated his support for net zero, saying he did not want Australia to become 'an island' for investment.
