Government plays politics by allowing Joyce Net Zero bill to be debated

The Albanese Government has used a little trickery of parliament to highlight Coalition divisions on climate policy, allowing debate on Member for New England Barnaby Joyce’s Repeal Net Zero Bill 2025 – despite it being a private member’s bill that is unlikely to ever face a vote.

The move comes after the Queensland Liberal National Party voted overwhelmingly at its weekend conference to scrap the party’s commitment to pursue net zero emissions by 2050. Nationals leader David Littleproud supported the resolution – and committed to take it to the next election – with several Liberal members including Scott Buccholz and James McGrath abstaining.

Joyce leads charge against net zero

The Repeal Net Zero Bill would unwind almost the entire policy framework built around Australia’s emissions reduction targets. It proposes repealing five different pieces of legislation completely, and amending three others, to undo every measure to meet the target.

Speaking in the House when the bill was introduced in late July, Mr Joyce said the government had refused to be honest about the cost of the renewables transition.

“It’s incredibly important that the Australian people get some sort of transparency on an industry that has been mired in secrecy,” he said.

“I think it is peculiar that people feel beholden by guilt that if they ask any serious questions, they are making a statement about climate change. You are not, you’re actually asking a question about how much the taxpayer is underwriting people who are incredibly wealthy.”

Queensland Nationals MP Llew O’Brien rose in support of Mr Joyce’s bill today, calling net zero “one of the greatest acts of economic self-sabotage in the history of the nation.”

“They’re tearing our communities apart. They’re pitting community member against community member. Sadly, in some cases, they’re pitting family member against family member, and that is tragic. And for what? For the most expensive electricity in the world.”

Mr O’Brien said the policy was crippling productivity and destroying industries.

“What is real is the lives of business people who are trying to survive in this country, who are going insolvent at an incredible rate—33,000 of them since this transition to net zero began,” he said.

France and Templeman defend transition

Newly elected Labor MP Ali France, who defeated former Opposition Leader Peter Dutton in Dickson, was the strongest of the Government replies, telling the chamber the bill was out of step with public sentiment.

“By endorsing Labor’s plan in May, Aussies have made a very clear statement to the world that Australia is the place to do business if you’re looking to use clean energy to create prosperity.”

“That is why this bill, the Repeal Net Zero Bill 2025, is so bizarre. It goes against the will of the people and it is antibusiness,” she said.

Ms France said Australians had embraced the shift, with rooftop solar saving households thousands of dollars and farmers already confronting the costs of climate change.

“This bill is the clearest sign yet that those opposite are in a shambles,” she said.

Labor’s Susan Templeman also criticised the bill, Joyce, and the Coalition’s priorities. However, it is not clear if she was making an error, or perhaps acknowledging the strong support for climate change action in the historic capital of the New England, when she got the name of Mr Joyce’s electorate wrong.

“There’s another area where the member for Armidale ignores the facts, and that’s on the use of rural land for renewables projects,” Ms Templeman said, arguing that very little land was needed for renewable projects.

Political theatre with no vote likely

The Government’s decision to allow debate on the Repeal Net Zero Bill is highly unusual, with private members’ bills rarely given time in the chamber. Labor’s tactics seem to be an opportunity to put the opposition’s internal conflict on the issue on display.

The Coalition is currently conducting parallel reviews of its energy policies. Liberal MP Dan Tehan is leading a review into the Liberal Party’s position, while Nationals senator Matt Canavan is heading an inquiry into the Nationals’ stance. Both reviews are examining whether to retain the 2050 net zero commitment, push it back, or exempt hard-to-abate sectors. They are also considering the potential role of nuclear power.

Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen told Parliament during Question Times today that Joyce was jumping the gun and pre-empting the reviews.

“The other thing that’s surprising about the member for New England introducing this legislation is he’s pre-empted the review. The coalition’s having a big review of net zero,” Mr Bowen said.

Joyce rejected suggestions that further review was needed. “It’s like having an inquiry into whether you should chop off your arm,” Mr Joyce said .

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