Overview
- The Nationals held a rare Sunday party-room meeting and unanimously voted to abandon their net zero by 2050 commitment.
- The party is proposing an energy platform that includes coal, nuclear, gas and renewables, and cutting the 2035 emissions target to about 35% tied to the OECD average.
- Leader David Littleproud argued Australia’s share of global emissions is small and cited household energy costs as a key concern.
- The Page Research Centre’s analysis, presented to the meeting, claimed power bills rose about 39% since adopting net zero, or $600–$800 per household, figures reported as the basis for the shift.
- Greens and Labor condemned the move, and Liberal insiders say it will accelerate the Liberals’ energy-policy review, potentially bringing a position forward before Christmas.