The federal Coalition’s internal divide over climate policy has deepened, with two more Liberal MPs urging the party to “show guts” and walk away from Australia’s Net Zero emissions target by 2050.
In an exclusive report by The Sunday Telegraph, backbenchers Ben Small (Western Australia) and Henry Pike (Queensland) said it was time for the Liberal Party to confront Labor directly and reject what they describe as an “economically catastrophic” policy that risks undermining Australia’s energy security and industrial competitiveness.
Their intervention follows similar calls from conservative colleagues Andrew Hastie, Jacinta Price, Tony Pasin, Alex Antic, and Garth Hamilton, and comes amid an ongoing review of the Coalition’s energy strategy led by Opposition Energy Spokesman Dan Tehan.
Economic Fears and Political Strategy
Mr Small warned that maintaining the current Net Zero commitment could inflict severe harm on the national economy, drawing parallels with past campaigns against the carbon tax and the Voice to Parliament referendum.
“The Liberal Party needs to be on the front foot in this debate,” he said. “We must frame the costs of Labor’s policies, not accept their moralising. If we can’t convince Australians that lower prices—from food to housing—are good for the economy, our future as a centre-right party is bleak.”
Mr Small argued that meaningful reform has never come from following opinion polls, referencing John Howard’s tax reforms of the 1990s. “It’s time to do what is right, not because it is easy, but because our country depends on us,” he said.
Mr Pike echoed the sentiment, asserting that the Net Zero agenda is collapsing globally and calling for a “sovereign and realistic” climate strategy.
“We need the courage to challenge orthodoxy,” he said. “Good policy is good politics. We must have the guts to have—and win—the public debate. I’m up for the fight, and I hope my colleagues are too.”
Pushback from Moderates
However, not all Liberals agree. NSW Senator Maria Kovacic countered that the debate over Net Zero was “long past” and stressed the importance of sticking to science-based energy policy.
“I’m proud to be part of the party that signed up to Net Zero,” she said. “We need an energy plan that reflects the grid of 2028—one that delivers for future generations, grounded in science and sound economics, not ideology.”
The growing rift underscores a fundamental dilemma for the Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, who faces increasing pressure to clarify the party’s stance ahead of the next federal election. With MPs split between pragmatists and hardline conservatives, the Coalition’s energy policy could become a defining test of its economic credibility and unity.
As global climate action meets rising domestic cost-of-living pressures, the Liberals now face a choice: stand by Net Zero as a pathway to long-term transition, or abandon it in favour of short-term economic relief—a decision that could reshape Australia’s political landscape for a generation.
