Former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce’s private member’s bill on net zero emissions has sparked significant debate within the Coalition, highlighting divisions over climate policy and financial transparency. Joyce, together with then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison, only very recently agreed to reach net zero emissions by 2050. A number of party members are making an unprecedented hard stop to this dream of theirs, calling it logistically impossible and too expensive.
The recent political turmoil comes as the government claims to be on track to meet its 2030 emissions reduction target of 43%. The reality of the dollar cost of getting to net zero by 2050 is something many Coalition MPs are now committed to highlighting. Specifically, they’re concerned with the government’s Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) which isn’t fully transparent on its costs.
Internal Party Conflicts Emerge
David Littleproud, currently a prominent figure within the Nationals, has recently joined a branch vote advocating for the scrapping of the party’s net zero commitment. Unlike their previous Express Lanes expansion in 2019, this move was roundly criticized by several groups. More importantly, it showcases the growing rift within the Coalition over climate change measures.
Another Coalition member, Andrew Hastie, has cited international precedents in which countries have failed to pass such net zero targets. He maintained that if the other big polluters such as China and India weren’t making such commitments, then it was hard to say what was expected of Australia.
“China hasn’t committed to a net zero target; in fact, they have committed to peaking their emissions by 2030, and then they might get to 2060, India is 2070 … and then the US has popped smoke altogether,” – Andrew Hastie
Former Minister Matt Canavan made his views felt in a lively discussion at weekend’s National Party branch conference. He was a vocal supporter of the plan to scrap the party’s net zero commitment. Behind that praise was strong skepticism about states’ ability to meet such ambitious targets.
“I haven’t heard anything about that, but that to me just sounds like we still plan to die, we will just die slower,” – Matt Canavan
Concerns Over Costs and Transparency
Amidst these debates, Barnaby Joyce has raised alarms about the government’s lack of transparency regarding costs related to the CIS. He stated that taxpayers should know, in plain language, how their public dollars are being spent in this area.
“Is there any other sector of the economy that receives taxpayers’ money that would have that sort of secrecy, and somehow you are guilt-ridden if you ask a question?” – Barnaby Joyce
Joyce called out the secretive process around climate policy. She said that Australians deserved to know who was getting what in these deals, so that they could make a more informed decision about providing consent. He compared the issue to a universe-changing decision, arguing that world-changing issues shouldn’t be decided on a whim.
“It’s like having an inquiry into whether you should chop off your arm,” – Barnaby Joyce
The government has previously defended its approach on the basis that costs related to the CIS are commercial-in-confidence. They claim this strategy is key to keeping their bids for electricity generation — submitted through reverse auction — competitive.
Emissions Data and Future Implications
The recent emissions data was exciting because it showed a reduction of 1.4% over the past year up to March 2025. While this statistic paints an optimistic picture of the progress we’re making, the journey to net zero certainly still has its share of hurdles ahead. Soaring electricity rates due to the costs of that transition are complicating things further.
As Andrew Hastie recently observed. He argued that increasing global electricity prices are a reality of the increasing expenses of transitioning away from fossil fuels. He warned that because of these rising prices, subsidies are increasingly needed.
“Power bills are rising because the cost of this transition is increasing … that’s why there are all these subsidies,” – Andrew Hastie
Not true, says Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen In a rebuttal to Joyce’s weeping lamentations, Bowen focused on what the actual complaints were. And he emphasized that we must urgently work to address climate change. He said the LNP members’ justifications for not acting on net zero are a distraction from the real work we need to be focusing on.
“The excuses from the LNP for walking away from net zero vary, but the one thing that doesn’t change is their constant failure to deal with the compelling issue of our time: climate change,” – Chris Bowen
Despite rising tensions in the Coalition, it is still unclear if Joyce’s private member’s bill will get through. As of this morning, current expectations are that the vote will not occur today. That still leaves plenty of big questions ahead for Australia’s climate policy, though.
