Climate tensions hit Libs

CLIMATE change continues to rattle the Liberals, with the Prime Minister trying to discredit a NSW minister who voiced concerns over the party’s policy direction.

NSW Environment Minister Matt Kean has spoken out about tensions in the party over the issue, saying senior cabinet ministers want Scott Morrison to take strong action.

“They’re not moderates, they’re from the right of the party and they are saying this is a huge issue,” Mr Kean said.

But Mr Morrison dismissed the claims. “Matt Kean doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He doesn’t know what’s going on in the federal cabinet,” Mr Morrison said. “Most of the federal cabinet wouldn’t even know who Matt Kean was.”

Federal cabinet met in Canberra yesterday, as a destructive hailstorm swept through the capital.

The city has spent the past month choking on smoke from the deadly and unprecedented bushfires, which have renewed public pressure on the Government over its climate policies.

About half of Australia’s emissions reduction goal — a 26 per cent reduction on 2005 levels by 2030 — will be achieved by using past credit, which Mr Morrison is firmly standing by.

Federal Labor’s policies remain under review but the Opposition is reportedly planning to announce a goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. This is in line with scientific advice, particularly from United Nations climate policy experts.

Mr Morrison has rejected the idea of net zero emissions by 2050.

“What troubles me is that there are plenty of people at the moment who will go out and make a glib promise about that and they can’t (say) what it will mean ... for their jobs,” Mr Morrison said.