Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen on Saturday accused the Coalition of ignoring scientists’ warnings on global warming, claiming “the National party is calling the shots” on Coalition policy.
The Liberals and Nationals are set to hold a joint partyroom meeting of the Coalition on Sunday. The meeting was called to finalise the opposition’s climate change and energy policies ahead of parliament’s final sitting days in the last week of November.
“Our two parties have got to a position that they accept what the National Party has done … I hope that tomorrow the Liberal Party and the National Party will get to consensus,” Littleproud said.
The Nationals split from the Liberals less than the three weeks after the Coalition’s stunning May election loss, citing major policy differences. The Coalition was reunited after a 48-hour separation.
Ley has had a testy relationship with the Nationals since winning the rural NSW seat of Farrer in the 2001 election, vacated by former Nationals MP and deputy prime minister Tim Fischer.
This masthead reported on Saturday that Ley faces a fresh test of her leadership, with Nationals and conservative Liberals now focused on immigration, blaming the current rate of intake for elevated house prices.
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Littleproud emphasised the point on Saturday.
“We should have an immigration policy that works for Australia and that’s what the National party will gain,” he said.
Ley pre-empted the challenge over migration when she spoke at the annual John Howard Lecture on Thursday.