Opposition leader Sussan Ley has said the "realities" Australia faces have tempered her position on net zero, but stopped short of explicitly stating whether she personally supports the Coalition's new policy direction.
In an interview with SBS News on Monday, Ley was asked about remarks she made in 2021 while environment minister under the Morrison government, when she advocated for the 2050 emissions reduction target, saying: "No-one wants to get to net zero more quickly than I do."
"I think there's general recognition that we can get there, that we should get there, and we have to bring the people with us," she said at the time.
Asked what had changed her conviction — after the Liberal Party and its junior coalition partner, the Nationals, dumped the 2050 net zero taget and vowed to focus on energy prices — Ley told SBS News: "The realities that we're facing right now."
"That's why our plan is about what Australians deserve, affordable energy and responsible emissions reduction," Ley said, adding the Coalition still wanted to address emissions, which is why they remain committed to the Paris Agreement.
But when Ley was asked if she was personally in support of ditching net zero entirely, like the majority of the Liberal party room, Ley said: "I am 100 per cent committed to the plan that I'm talking about today, that was signed off by our entire party room and indeed the whole Opposition yesterday."
Sunday's energy policy announcement, alongside Nationals leader David Littleproud, followed weeks of internal pressure on how to address emissions reduction after the Liberals were backed into a corner by their junior Coalition partner, who opted to drop net zero.
The party says it will pursue year-on-year emissions reductions, but will scrap Labor's legislated targets, a move Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has described as "nonsensical" and "choosing to take Australia backwards".
"They say that they want to stay in [the Paris Agreement], but Paris is about the road to net zero, and you can't backslide," Albanese said on Monday.
Ley confident she will retain Liberal leadership
The energy debate has put pressure on Ley's ability to lead an increasingly fractured party, but she remains confident that she has the numbers to remain leader of the Opposition.
When asked directly in an interview with SBS News about her ability to command a majority inside the Liberal party room, Ley said: "Yes."
Ley went on to say the deal between the Liberals and Nationals to dump net zero and settle on a new energy policy was evidence of support for her leadership.
"The support that we all gave to this plan just yesterday was a demonstration of our unity of purpose when it comes to something that is vital for every single Australian, energy is the economy," she said.
Key supporters of Ley, including moderates Anne Ruston and Maria Kovacic, disputed media reports on Monday that suggested a slippage in support for Ley among members of her faction.
The Australian newspaper had reported growing momentum among conservative and moderate MPs to pull support from Ley and back conservative Andrew Hastie, who quit the Coalition frontbench last month.
"Media reports this morning about the moderates are incorrect. We, along with an overwhelming majority of our moderate colleagues, continue to strongly support Sussan's leadership," a joint statement from Ruston and Kovacic said.
"This matter was resolved in the party room six months ago and Sussan will lead us strongly to the next election."
But Ley's decision to align with the Nationals, ditch net zero and leave the door open to future taxpayer investment in coal-fired power stations has led to rumblings among some moderates about her future.
Asked if she retains the support of other members of her party room, Ley said she declined to respond to "commentary about commentary".
"I'm just not going to be distracted for one single moment from my sole focus, which is talking to Australians about the need for affordable energy," Ley said.
"Whatever happens inside the Canberra bubble in the commentary and speculation of some reports ... I just don't focus on that."
Ley was elected Opposition leader with 29 votes, but 25 members of her party room voted against her.
After she secured the top job, conservative leadership aspirants appeared unlikely to challenge in the short term, particularly given she was elevated as the first woman to lead the party.
The Liberal party room gathered in Canberra for the net zero debate last week, and there was no challenge then either.
Share
