Shadow affairs minister Andrew Hastie has threatened to quit or be dumped from the frontbench if Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, who has been recovering from a damaging week for the party, does not abandon the net-zero target.
Ley is reviewing the party’s climate policy after the historic defeat at the May federal election, in which former leader Peter Dutton touted a controversial plan to build seven nuclear reactors across Australia.
Hastie, who is against achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, told ABC Radio Perth yesterday that he would consider stepping down if the party’s stance contradicted his beliefs.
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“That leaves me without a job,” he told the broadcaster when asked what he would do if Ley supported the target.
“I have nailed my colours to the mast.
“My primary mission in politics is to build a stronger, more secure, more competitive Australia. Energy security is a vital input into that, so that’s my bottom line.”
The Albanese government yesterday released the first National Climate Risk Assessment, which painted a dire picture of the effects of global warming on millions of Australians.
The report found that about 1.5 million people will be at risk of sea level rise by 2050, with 2.9 degrees of warming by 2030 to cause up to 444 per cent more heatwave-related deaths.
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The federal Labor government is set to reveal its interim emissions reduction target for 2035 this week, while the opposition has yet to determine its climate policy.
Hastie’s net-zero ultimatum comes just days after Ley dumped Liberal Senator Jacinta Price from the frontbench over her refusal to publicly support the leader and apologise for remarks she made about Australian Indians.
“Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has failed the test of high standards that I have set for members of my shadow ministry,” Ley said last week.
Hastie said Ley had “no choice” but to demote Price because she “didn’t express support for her leadership”.
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“And one of the conditions for serving in the shadow cabinet or the outer ministry is that you support the leader,” he said.
When asked if Ley had Hastie’s full support, he said: “She has my support.”
“I wouldn’t be sitting here speaking with you as the shadow minister for home affairs.”
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