Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
Resources Minister Keith Pitt is set to be elevated to cabinet under a deal between Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Nationals Leader Barnaby Joyce that sees the Nationals sign up to the 2050 net-zero target.
Pitt, who was demoted to the outer ministry by Joyce, has been one of the toughest critics of a rush to embrace the 2050 target, and a very strong advocate of the coal industry’s future.
Under the deal, the Nationals cabinet numbers would go from four to five although their overall frontbench numbers stay the same.
Joyce announced the agreement after the party met again on Sunday afternoon, but he refused to provide any detail until its terms go into the submission cabinet will consider.
Joyce told a news conference: “We understand fully so many supporters who have concerns”.But “heroics that leave nothing but a rhetorical flourish but leave the person who’s hurting in the same position that they were in, is not an outcome that the Nationals party room supported”.
Morrison and Joyce negotiated on a slate of demands put forward by the Nationals late last week. The prime minister did not accede to all the Nationals’ demands, but agreed to enough to satisfy the majority of the 21-member party room. There was no vote.
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According to sources, at Sunday’s meeting, Joyce expressed his own scepticism about net-zero.
The Nationals were focused on obtaining safeguards for regional Australia in the plan to proceed to net-zero.
Joyce said regional people were now in a vastly better position that they were “before we started those negotiations.”
A relieved Morrison – who leaves on Thursday for the G20 followed by the Glasgow climate conference – said on Sunday night he welcomed the Nationals’ in-principle support for the commitment to reach net-zero by 2050, and looked forward to the matter finally being determined by cabinet.
Morrison has emphasised the decision is one for cabinet. He made it clear he would take the target to Glasgow with or without the Nationals’ approval, but failure to reach a deal would have been politically disastrous within the Coalition.
“We recognise that this has been a challenging issue for the Nationals. I thank the [deputy prime minister] for his leadership and his colleagues for their considered support.
“I greatly respect the process they have undertaken in reaching this decision.
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“Only the Coalition can be trusted to deliver a plan to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 that will protect and promote rural and regional Australia,” Morrison said.
Earlier, NSW Treasurer and Environment Minister Matt Kean criticised Morrison’s intention to take a projection for 2030 to Glasgow, rather than an enhanced target.
Kean told the ABC he would like to see Morrison take “an ambitious interim commitment”.
“I think at the very least the prime minister should take the average targets of all the states and territories […] which would be around a 35% target.”
“A projection without a target for 2030 basically says we don’t take climate change seriously.”
The projection will be well above Australia’s existing target of 26-28% reduction of 2005 levels, but Australia will face criticism for not raising the target.
Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Nationals win extra cabinet position as they sign up to net zero deal – https://theconversation.com/nationals-win-extra-cabinet-position-as-they-sign-up-to-net-zero-deal-170531
