Details of a report expected to recommend the Nationals dump its support for net zero emissions by 2050 will be presented to the party on Monday, but the review has not undertaken economic modelling of the costs of doing so.

Nationals deputy leader and outspoken net zero opponent Matt Canavan led the review with his Senate colleague Ross Cadell and told Insiders on Sunday he would be presenting findings to his colleagues when parliament resumes.

But he flagged that discussions over the party’s position were likely to be ongoing and it could take time for the matter to be settled, while declaring that it was clear Australians were not “getting a good deal from net zero” .

“I’ll present work as I have been doing the last few weeks, but you probably have bosses or had bosses over your career, sometimes when you present something, they tell you: that’s not good enough, go back and do some more work,” he said.

“So that may very well happen tomorrow, as well.”

Senator Canavan also confirmed the review had not yet undertaken economic modelling to estimate the cost of dumping the net zero target, pointing instead to the cost of pursuing the target and the “benefit of avoiding those costs”.

“It’s very clear that the cost of not doing something is avoiding the cost of doing it. That’s pretty common-sense,” he said in a firey exchange.

“The lived reality of net zero is clear. It is not working for the Australian people. 

“Sure, there’s a role for modelling, but the old saying is also true that if you ask an economist how to open a can of tuna, they’ll say: ‘Let’s assume that we have a can opener.'”

Climate policy has long been a point of contention within the Coalition and led to a brief split between the Nationals and Liberals after the federal election in May.

If the minor party does decide to dump the net zero commitment, it could potentially once again drive a wedge through the partnership. 

Joyce ‘should come along’ to Nationals party room

The Nationals senator also threw his support behind fellow net zero critic Barnaby Joyce, who last week announced he would not recontest his seat of New England at the next election after days of speculation that he was in talks to join Pauline Hanson’s One Nation.

While Mr Joyce technically remains a member of the Nationals, he last week said his relationship with the party’s leader had irreparably broken down, raising questions about whether he would join the party room meeting when parliament resumes on Monday. 

Senator Canavan said he hoped Mr Joyce would come along.

“It’s unfortunate when people don’t feel that they’re part of the team and loved,” he said.

“And I know lots of people have reached out to him in the last few weeks and as I say, I’d love to keep him part of the team.”

Using a sporting analogy, he said even if Mr Joyce was, as he has called himself, a “free agent”, it made sense to keep him on the field.

“Support for net zero is dropping off a cliff,” he said.

“And I think that Barnaby played a role in that.”