Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has refused to say whether she personally supports net zero by 2050 targets, or whether she would lead a party that didn’t support them, as she shied away from revealing when the Coalition would unveil the results of its review into the policy.
“Energy policy is really important, and we’re looking at it from two principles. We have to have a stable, reliable grid that provides affordable energy for households and the wonderful manufacturing businesses here in this state,” Ley told ABC News this morning from Victoria.
“We have to play our part in reducing emissions globally. We’ve got a working group that’s doing exactly that. It brings everyone in our party room together. Those discussions are ongoing. Let me assure you and others that this work is being done.”
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“I tell you what I don’t support, and that’s the 2035 targets that the government recently released,” Ley said in reference to the target of a 62 to 70 per cent reduction on 2005 levels Labor announced last month.
“I’m not going to give you dates, and I’m not going to forecast the end landing point of that policy, but when I talk about the principles that are underpinning, people recognise that that’s important.”
Asked directly if she would lead a party that didn’t support net zero by 2050, Ley said: “I’m very proud to lead the party that I do that backs aspirational Australians, people who get up early, who go to work, who take risks, who want to get ahead and build a future for their families”.
The Coalition agreed to a net zero by 2050 target in 2021 under the Morrison government, however, there has been consistent agitation since this year’s election for the policy to be scrapped. The targets are currently under internal review by the Liberal Party, alongside a raft of other policy platforms.