Ley faces Leadership Challenge as Coalition Climate Divide Deepens
CANBERRA – Opposition Leader Sussan Ley is almost certain to face a leadership challenge next year, according to sources within the Liberal Party, as a deepening rift over climate policy threatens to fracture the Coalition. The challenge follows the Nationals’ formal abandonment of a commitment to net zero emissions by 2050.
Senator Andrew Bragg has suggested the Liberal Party retain a pledge to reduce emissions, though not necessarily by 2050, stating, “We need to make sure we have a credible policy to present to people who live in urban Australia.” He also argued maintaining the Coalition agreement should not be a “blank cheque” to the Nationals.
Liberal MP Tim Wilson reinforced this sentiment, telling Sky News the Liberal Party was “not National Party-lite” and would “make our own decisions about our own policy, and we will stand up for what we believe in.”
The Nationals’ decision has drawn criticism from teal independents, who successfully campaigned against Liberals in inner-city seats on platforms prioritizing climate action. Kooyong MP Monique Ryan, who defeated former Liberal treasurer Josh Frydenberg in 2022, stated, “I think people are asking what the Liberals care about… and at the moment all they seem to care about is their own political prospects, which are heading to oblivion if they continue to behave this way.”
Former Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce expressed satisfaction with the party’s new position, though he has not yet rejoined the Nationals party room and has not ruled out defecting to One Nation. He credited Nationals senator Matt Canavan with initiating the shift away from the 2050 target.
The escalating tensions raise questions about the future of the Coalition and Ley’s leadership as the parties grapple with diverging approaches to a key policy area.
