Senator Sarah Henderson has demanded Opposition Leader Sussan Ley put a stop to the leaking of information out of the ongoing energy policy meeting in Canberra.
Henderson, a firm critic of Ley, stood up in the meeting to single out this masthead’s reporting of her contribution to the gathering, two sources said.
Liberal senator Sarah Henderson.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Henderson, a former broadcast journalist who opposes net zero, said that Ley needed to enforce discipline.
Ley briefly responded by acknowledging Henderson’s complaint before the meeting moved on.
Henderson attracted criticism from her own allies last week when she attacked Ley’s leadership before the Right was ready to launch a leadership coup.
One MP told this masthead the room was pretty evenly split, but the anti-net zero forces probably had a slight edge.
Here’s what a few other MPs said during their time to talk:
Ted O’Brien, deputy leader, said the party should drop the mandated 2050 target but allow moderate MPs to speak in positive terms about net zero as a “welcome outcome”. But O’Brien’s contribution against the pledge was significant because he has not previously declared a position publicly.
Loading
Andrew Hastie made an eloquent argument against the emissions pledge, the MP said. Hastie said he was happy for the party to remain signed up to the Paris Agreement. He spoke about the need for energy abundance to fuel the AI and defence industries.
Right-wing Victorian senator James Paterson, who previously argued for a net zero compromise, took a firm anti-net zero position and said the party needed to create a clear contrast with Labor.
NSW MP Julian Leeser argued that voters, particularly younger ones, would not take the Coalition seriously if it dropped net zero.
Frontbencher Melissa Price and new backbencher Leon Rebello spoke strongly in favour of retaining net zero.
Meanwhile in WA, the state’s Labor government is being urged to adopt a renewable energy target, as new polling from a collection of unions and climate groups suggests three quarters of Western Australians want one.