The Nationals expect to be presented with the details of the Morrison government’s new climate and energy policy on Sunday, party leader Barnaby Joyce has confirmed.
The policy comes on the cusp of a global climate summit in Glasgow, and is expected to commit Australia to zero emissions by 2050 — a position that has long been a dealbreaker for the junior Coalition party.
Mr Joyce told 7.30 his party room would review the plan from energy minister Angus Taylor “forensically” once it arrived, warning his colleagues would only be satisfied by a detailed plan for regional economies.
He would not be drawn on whether it would be possible to get his party to agree on net zero.
Earlier on Tuesday afternoon, one of those members — Queensland senator Matt Canavan — tweeted that net zero would mean “higher energy prices for all”.
Referencing a grievance dating back to the Howard era, Mr Joyce said the Nationals would not be “fooled” a second time on climate change accords.
Key agricultural lobby groups are demanding some form of recompense for land clearing laws that were passed by state governments after Kyoto, and will address the Nationals party room on Monday.
Mr Joyce said the laws, which were used to offset Australia’s emissions under a special provision negotiated by the Howard government, were a “sneaky little game”.
Asked if he feared another such “game” might be afoot ahead of Glasgow, Mr Joyce said he did not think so.
“No, no, I don’t think they will,” he said. “But you know, we’ve been once bitten and never twice, we’re going to be diligent.”
Will the PM be going to Glasgow?
Grey-haired man in glass and blue striped tie, blue jacket gestures with thumb
Prime Minister Scott Morrison is expected to attend the climate talks in Glasgow.(AAP: Lukas Coch)
With the Glasgow summit looming, Prime Minister Scott Morrison is yet to confirm if he will personally attend.
Mr Joyce conceded that he “would be told” when Mr Morrison was overseas, given his standby role as Acting Prime Minister.
But Mr Joyce would not give any hints.
“I can either say ‘I don’t know and I’m telling the truth,’ or I can say ‘I don’t know, because I can’t tell you the truth’. So either way, you’re going to get the answer: I don’t know.”