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Opposition leader Sussan Ley says the Nationals are “entitled” to make their own decision on abandoning net zero and expressed confidence the parties can work together as “two mature parties”. Ms Ley’s confidence on Monday morning came amid rumours of further division with the Coalition after the Nationals on Sunday voted to dump net zero, followed by a bruising Newspoll for her leadership. “I always said that the Nationals would come to their decision in their party room and the Liberals would similarly come to our decision in our party room,” she said. “They’re entitled — as their own party — to arrive at their own position. “But our joint energy working group has done an incredibly sound job up until this point in time, it’s continuing. “And we can look forward to a Liberal Party energy position and then a coming together as a Coalition . . . as two mature parties.” It came as another Liberal MP spoke out in support for former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce’s private members bill to repeal net zero to be debated in Parliament on Monday. WA Liberal MP Rick Wilson described his O’Conner electorate — which is a heartland for agricultural and mining operations — as “ground zero for net zero” while speaking in the House of Representatives. Mr Wilson marks a growing number of Liberals have spoken out to abandon the policy, despite the post-election policy review remaining ongoing. Liberal MP Tony Pasin from regional South Australia had also last week thrown his weight behind the bill. “My electorate of O’Connor is ground zero for Net Zero,” Mr Wilson said. “We’ve already seen the total demise of the nickel industry, with 14 out of 16 Nickel Mines in my electorate closing thanks to cheap, dirty nickel being produced in Indonesia. “Last week I visited Narrogin, which will soon host three wind farm projects, and there is open tension between those who accepted the wind farm windfall and those who want to continue farming as their forebears did, some residents are concerned about visual and noise pollution or are fearful of potential adverse health effects. “We’re already decimating the mining industry across my electorate, inflicting serious damage to our agriculture and transport industries, and hitting the hip pocket of everyday people living in O’Connor, all for a climate goal that Most of the international community is coming to realize will never be reached. “The only thing we’re on track for is impoverishing our great country for no gain to the global climate.” Mr Joyce told Sunrise he had always been an advocate for Coalition to remain partners but said it’s something for people to “think about in coming days”. “It becomes really hard. Look at Queensland where the LNP is… what are you going to do? Have two conferences?” Mr Joyce said. “You can’t be two different parties down here (Canberra) and then one party up there (Queensland). “There is a whole range of combinations, permutations, and confusions that are around this beyond the comments in the paper. “I think people are going to come across them and think about them in the coming days.” When asked if the Coalition was over, Mr Joyce was vague adding: “I don’t know, that is above my pay grade”. “In the past, I’ve argued against splitting the Coalition. “It is just not going to work out how you think is going to work out.” Mr Joyce was noncommittal when asked if he had plans to rejoin the party after a major decision to abandon the net zero by 2050 policy. Nationals leader David Littleproud says Australia needs to have a “common-sense” conversation about energy policy and explore “alternatives to net-zero” insisting the party was “not denying the science of climate change”. He said the junior Coalition partner would work with the Liberals who are yet to set their energy policy in a “calm and methodical” way. “We’ll work with our Coalition partners when they get to their position,” he told ABC News Breakfast. He said the Nationals policy would continue to reduce emissions “but in a cheaper, better, fairer way for Australians”. “We should do the practical things that we haven’t been doing in a stronger environment. Investment in a stronger environment,” Mr Littleproud said. “We believe in climate change. Net zero is not the only way to address climate change. This is about a common-sense solution.” His alternatives included “building more dams” and other infrastructure , and investing in resilience and mitigation. “When the net zero policy that Anthony Albanese, is going to cost the Australian people $9 trillion. We’re sending our country broke when there is an alternative way,” he said. WA’s National party leader Shane Love says State members would now “carefully consider” their position after their Federal colleagues decided to abandon net zero. “The Nationals WA acknowledge the decisions of both the National’s Federal Council and the Federal Parliamentary team, concerning Net Zero emissions targets,” Mr Love said. “The State Nationals WA Parliamentary Team and party will carefully consider the report and these important decisions made by our Federal colleagues over the coming days.”
