Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has sharply criticised the Liberal Party’s deep divisions over its net zero emissions policy, calling the ongoing internal conflict a “clownshow” and warning that Australians “cannot afford to keep paying the price” of the Coalition’s infighting.
The comments came after a marathon party room meeting on Wednesday, where Liberal MPs and senators debated whether to maintain or abandon the net zero emissions target first adopted under former Prime Minister Scott Morrison six years ago. The review, led by Sussan Ley and Dan Tehan following the Coalition’s 2025 election defeat, has exposed significant rifts within the party.
Speaking in Sydney, Albanese accused the opposition of “climate denialism” and of fundamentally rejecting the science behind climate change. “Australians cannot afford to keep paying the price of Coalition infighting when it comes to climate and energy policy,” he said, adding that the Liberal approach would “hurt Australians” both economically and environmentally.
Scenes of the Liberal Party’s right faction entering the meeting together, including prominent conservatives such as Sarah Henderson and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, highlighted the internal division. Albanese said the display was “a deliberate act to show opposition to Sussan Ley’s leadership” and evidence of a “divided rabble”.
Inside the meeting, Liberal MPs expressed differing views. Opposition communications spokeswoman Melissa McIntosh, who has publicly argued against the net zero target, described the five-hour discussion as “civilised” and “productive”. She said it left members “feeling optimistic” and added she had “a spring in her step”.
While McIntosh stopped short of confirming that the Coalition would abandon net zero, she said many MPs advocated for change to reflect community concerns about the cost of living. “We can’t expect that things are going to change if we don’t change direction,” she said.
She also reaffirmed that the Coalition would remain part of the Paris Agreement, saying there was “strong support across the board” for maintaining Australia’s international climate commitments. “Everyone that stood up against net zero still stood up and said we do have a role to play in bringing down emissions,” she said, but rejected what she called the government’s “harder, faster, deeper” approach.
Dan Tehan, responsible for drafting the Coalition’s new energy policy, has signalled that coal and gas will continue to play a role in the party’s platform. The final policy is expected to be announced later on Thursday.
