WA Federal Liberals clear on net zero and call on Sussan Ley to dump policy altogether

WA Federal Liberals will this week tell leader Sussan Ley they want net zero dumped, but her embattled leadership is set to continue — for now.

Senators Michaelia Cash and Matt O’Sullivan and lower house MP Ben Small on Saturday called for net zero to be scrapped, with Andrew Hastie, Rick Wilson and Slade Brockman also expected to call for the policy to be dumped at Wednesday’s party room meeting.

Ms Ley’s main political supporter in WA, Durack MP Melissa Price, has also called for changes to the policy, saying there needs to be a “reset” to make net zero more relevant to Australia.

Liberals say they believe in cutting emissions, but believe Australia is going too hard, too soon on renewables — driving up power prices.

“We need to withdraw the net zero target and back what works,” Senator Cash said.

“As technology proves it can cut emissions without driving up bills or threatening reliability, you can keep moving, step by practical step.”

Senator Matt O’Sullivan was also crystal clear on his position: “I’m advocating that we drop the net zero target altogether.

“Our priority needs to be ensuring Australia has cheap and reliable power. Emissions reduction remains important, and we should do our fair share alongside other comparable economies.

“Taking sensible and affordable steps to reduce emissions, and helping other countries lower theirs, particularly through our LNG exports, can and should form part of our approach - but never at the expense of higher energy costs for Australians.”

And Forrest MP Ben Small is also calling for net zero to be canned.

“As much as we have been promised power prices are going down and down the bad reality is power prices are going up and up and show no signs of slowing down,” he said.

“I am happy for us to commit to doing our fair share to cut emissions, as technology makes that viable.

“The 2028 election should be a referendum on whether we should be in or out of Labor’s net zero and my view is we need to be firmly out.”

Internal division over the commitment to net zero emissions by 2050, as well as polling this week showing the coalition’s primary vote dropping to a record-low 24 per cent, has heightened the pressure on Ms Ley’s leadership.

Former prime minister John Howard is urging the Liberal Party to “get behind” her as political infighting threatens to end her leadership of the coalition.

The Opposition leader on Friday was again forced to bat away questions surrounding her job, declaring she was not “commenting on commentary” after Liberal senator Sarah Henderson said Ms Ley was losing the party’s support.

Ms Price, one of only three WA Federal Liberals to vote for Ms Ley in the May leadership spill, on Saturday maintained her support for the embattled leader.

“No one else could have got us this far with the net zero debate,” Ms Price said. “She has been very professional and very calm.”

Ms Price said Liberals were “not climate deniers”.

“We have had a lot of meetings, including the last one on Friday that went for three hours,” she said. “And what I can tell you: you might be surprised on how much we agree on.

“I call it net zero with conditions.

“Maybe there is a reset – an Australian way with dealing with net zero.

“A uniquely Australian way: and I hope common sense will prevail.

“We need to look at it through the eyes of Australia – not through the eyes of the world.

“You might look at what are the things you are calculating.

“You might say we take agriculture out of the calculation.

“That’s important for Western Australia.”

Senator Cash, the leader of the Opposition in the Senate, said on leadership: “Sussan Ley is the Liberal Party leader and has my support.”

Mr Small said he expected no change to the leadership this year.

“Do I think Sussan Ley will be our leader on Christmas Day? Absolutely I do,” he said.

“As an important policy question as this is (net zero), this issue not about leadership.”

WA Liberal Senator Dean Smith, a member of the Coalition’s Energy Working Group said: “No matter the final position, the focus must remain holding Labor accountable for its failings on energy policy, which are driving up costs for households and businesses and, ultimately, starting to cost Australians their jobs.

“My discussions suggest there is broad commitment to emissions reduction and to embracing nuclear technology as a medium-to-longer term pathway to achieving that.

“There is a strong sense of common purpose that lowering electricity and energy prices is the overarching objective of any final policy statement.”