Environment Minister Sussan Ley, of the ruling Liberal Party, has made a controversial splash. By doing so, she took the unprecedented step of dropping the party’s long-standing commitment to pursuing net zero emissions. This step has drawn vituperation from every wing of the party. It has cast a shadow on its political consequences for urban voters, particularly those in teal electorates. Ley’s leadership has quickly come under the microscope as her party faces the prospect of going to a general election with a primary vote as low as 24 percent.
Ley’s decision to exercise initiative in covering her right flank seems to have been driven by a need to shore up her own position within the party. This strategy has ensnared her in a web of contradictions, most notably the day of her news conference on Thursday. She attempted to justify her reasons for the move, but detractors argue that Ley, as the party’s leader, did not adequately convey her perspective during the Wednesday meeting of the party. This has further complicated her role as a conviction politician.
The Liberal Party, as Ley and her party well know, has traditionally had it tough when it comes to winning urban seats. The scrapping of the net zero commitment seems like a double slap in the face to voters. Yet, these are the same voters they would need to urgently attract to make up lost ground. Many observers note that Ley’s decision represents high-risk politics, particularly given the party’s recent losses in teal seats, which have remained solidly independent since the last election.
Ley’s authoritarian style of leadership has led to harsh criticism not just from her political opponents, but from within her own caucus. Equality issues Gisele Kapterian, a member of the federally appointed Liberal Women, sent her message Tuesday in an email to party members. She pitched herself as the commonsense candidate. She highlighted the importance of staying the course on net zero emissions as a marker of a unique energy policy.
“Our party must remain firmly committed to the language of a ‘net zero’ emissions target as part of an energy policy that is differentiated from the ALP.” – Gisele Kapterian
Kapterian’s sentiments reflect a growing unease among some Liberal Party members regarding Ley’s decision. Critics have noted that Ley’s approach seems dismissive of the electorate’s preferences. The Conversation’s Michelle Grattan expressed similar fears, arguing that the leadership is disconnected from what voters want.
“You might have rejected us at two elections, but we still know better than you do.” – Michelle Grattan (The Conversation)
As Ley tries to maneuver through this stormy political sea, how well she can hold her party together while winning over voters firmly stands in doubt. The Liberal Party has been fighting against its conservative legacy for years now. This battle creates an uphill climb for them to get reengaged with their largely urban and environmental constituency.
Andrew Hirst provided fantastic perspectives on the approach through the lens of Grattan. He suggested that Ley’s move to drop net zero was a win for the anti-climate arm of the party. We will just have to wait and see if this decision hits the right chord with the overall public. Or it might just reinforce the party’s already stark divides.
