Opposition Leader Sussan Ley’s leadership is in peril this week, after the Coalition’s Home Affairs spokesperson Andrew Hastie threatened to quit over net zero targets.
The Western Australian MP has campaigned against the climate target. Ley is yet to determine the Opposition’s policy.
Hastie, who is tipped to be a future Coalition leader, said he would be left “without a job” if the Opposition opts to support the policy aiming for net zero emissions by 2050.
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Hastie told ABC Radio on Monday: “My primary mission in politics is to build a stronger, more secure, more competitive Australia.
“Energy security is a vital input into that, so that’s my bottom line. I’ve nailed my colours to the mast.
“I said that net zero policy is a straitjacket for our economy and our country, and I believe that.
“I’m actually quite passionate about it.”
Ley has faced multiple crises in the same day, with the Coalition recording its lowest approval numbers on record via Newspoll of just 27 per cent, with a 10 per cent swing to One Nation.
On Tuesday, journalist Luke Bona and Western Sydney Women founding director Amanda Rose spoke about the turmoil inside the Coalition.
“My goodness, they’re an absolute mess,” Rose said.
“What is interesting with this is they’re still working on their policy. You have got to be kidding me, they haven’t agreed on or designed a policy.
“This obsession and this fight that’s happening internally with net zero has been quite entertaining, but it’s not helping anyone.
“The whole point to an opposition is to have a very firm stance on a particular key issue so they can fight the government of the day and push back on the government of the day.
“(With) Hastie, there is no secret he wants to be leader. He said he wants to be leader. I would say he’s just doing his numbers and is probably going to roll Sussan by the end of the year.”
Bona agreed Hastie was aiming for the leadership.
“We all know that he wants the job. I think there’s a conga line for the leadership of the Liberal Party, but who would want it at the moment? They have a long way to go before they’re any threat to the government,” he said.
“We saw the opinion polls come out this week.
“They do need clear policy. This enormous rush to get to net zero by 2050, I think, is ludicrous. I think it is absolute folly.
”We are one of the cleanest western nations in the world, doing our best.
“Remember, the Labor Party promised voters, ‘you’ll have cheaper power in a year’ — you ask anyone watching this morning, your home power bills have gone up.
“Anyone who runs a business, it is more expensive to run your business now and your power bills are contributing to that.
“Let’s look at renewables when they are ready to go.
“Andrew Hastie, good on him. He’s nailed his colours on the mast and will live and die by that mast.”
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