Sussan Ley, the Opposition Leader, has called her Liberal colleagues back to parliament next week to finalize the party’s stance on the contentious issue of net zero emissions. The in-person meeting is set for this Wednesday. It arrives as the Liberal party appears poised to jettison its own leader’s plan to reach net zero emissions by 2050. Ley’s leadership will be put to the test as she tries to dance between her party’s left and right flanks. In the meantime, she gets ready to fight with the Nationals, who have already violated their own promises.
This meeting is particularly critical given that the Nationals have recently chosen to welsh on their 2021 pledge to produce. They have given up on their pledge to reach net zero emissions by 2050. This development has already pushed the Liberals to speed up their internal discussions about their own stance. During the first Liberal party room in coming days shadow ministers will have an opportunity to align. They will bring together their mutual position, which Ley will take through to Nationals leader David Littleproud.
Internal Divisions Over Net Zero
As talks await on the horizon, the Liberal party is divided and fractious over the party’s net zero commitment. Party moderates have made clear that scrapping the target entirely would be a “red line” for them. This split highlights the difficult position Ley is in as she tries to build agreement among her peers. How these conversations resolve themselves is likely to have a huge influence over the party’s long-term direction and even electoral viability.
James Paterson, a former Liberal party frontbencher and now a vocal advocate for the Cross River Rail project, is adamant these internecine quarrels cannot continue. He stated,
“I think a bad government is getting away with bad policies that are hurting our country, because we have not yet answered those questions and we have not yet resolved those differences.”
Paterson underscored the point that lack of division and mission creep are the real threats to the Opposition’s ability to hold this government accountable. He remarked that
“we do need to resolve them in a timely way so that we can focus our fire on a government whose policies won’t stand up to scrutiny when … we’re united and disciplined and focused on holding them to account.”
The Path Ahead for the Liberals
As the Coalition’s new members get on board, we’re taking a moment to look closely at our policies. The outcome of this week’s conversations will play a huge role in determining its future course. Ley’s skill at managing these complications will be key to her party’s ability to show a united front going forward.
In the face of these internal challenges, Ley must work diligently to establish a position that satisfies both moderates and more conservative members of her party. Even more central to the fate of the Washington region is the ongoing negotiation with the Nationals—deal by next Sunday, please!
