Opposition starts on challenge of crafting (yet another) energy policy

The opposition is commencing the challenging task of framing a new energy policy, including deciding whether to stick by its commitment to net zero emissions by 2050.

Liberal leader Sussan Ley, appearing at the National Press Club, announced a Coalition working group on energy and emissions reduction policy. It will report to her and Nationals leader David Littleproud.

Led by energy spokesman Dan Tehan, the group will include shadow treasurer Ted O'Brien, resources spokeswoman Susan McDonald, industry spokesman Alex Hawke, environment spokeswoman Angie Bell and shadow assistant ministers Dean Smith and Andrew Willcox.

The work comes against the background of a significant number of the Nationals and some Liberals wanting to drop the commitment to 2050 net zero. The Coalition signed up to net zero under then Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Ley said over the course of the term the Coaltion’s task would be to develop a plan with two goals

• a stable energy grid producing affordable and reliable power for households and businesses, and

• reducing emissions so Australia was playing its part in the global effort.

“Our approach must be practical and principled as we address both these goals,” she said.

Ley said every member of both Coalition parties would have the opportunity to engage with the work.

She said crippling power price increases had been taking small businesses and factories to the brink.

The opposition this week is having meetings of its frontbenchers and party room, as it ponders on the election disaster. Ley declared bluntly in her speech that the Liberals didn’t just lose – they were “totally smashed”.

The Liberal party has already set up a review of the election defeat but Ley said more was needed.

“This is why our federal executive will soon discuss a more broad-ranging and wider review process of the fundamentals of the Liberal party.

"I believe there is a need for the party as a whole to have a deeper look at the existential issues we face, how our divisional constitutions operate and how we can better serve, support and most importantly grow our membership.

"This will not be an academic exercise. My parliamentary team and I will stay in close touch with out state and territory divisions to ensure success in this important area.”

Queensland Liberal senator James McGrath “will play an integral role in bringing this longer term body of work together”.

“It will be a crucial part of our efforts to better respect, reflect and represent modern Australia.”

Ley stressed she was highly committed to getting more women into the Liberal ranks, without being wedded to a particular way of doing it.

“I’m agnostic on specific methods to make it happen, but I am a zealot that it does actually happen.

"Current approaches have clearly not worked, so I am open to any approach that will.

"The Liberal Party operates as a federated model, meaning each state division determines its own preselection rules.

"If some state divisions choose to implement quotas, that is fine. If others don’t, that is also fine.

"But what is not fine is not having enough women.

"As the first woman leader of our federal party, let me send the clearest possible message: we need to do better, recruit better, retain better and support better.

"That is why I will work with every division, as will my parliamentary team, to ensure we preselect more women for the 2028 election.”