Continuing with the party’s nuclear stance, Nationals leader David Littleproud has reiterated that reaching net zero emissions will remain unachievable without a practical energy policy that includes nuclear power in the mix.
“Now, whether it’s specifically the policy that we took around government-owned or whether it’s simply removing the moratorium. I think you have to be pragmatic. You cannot do an all-renewables approach and keep the economy going,” he told Sunrise Mornings on May 19.
He pointed to the gap between energy price promises and reality, noting that Australians were told three years ago that power bills would fall by $275 (US$176), yet they have instead risen by over $1,300.
“Unfortunately, physics and economics are going to catch up with at some point,” he said.
When asked if he still backs nuclear despite the election outcome, Littleproud argued it was not the technology that voters rejected but rather the confusion created over its costs.
“I think what [Prime Minister] Anthony Albanese was able to do in a masterful way was to perpetrate a lie around a $600 billion cost. The costings actually were $263 billion cheaper than an all renewables approach and having a mixed grid, not just renewables,” he said.
He warned that the public’s lived experience would soon reflect the shortcomings of relying solely on renewables.
“Just look what’s happening in Spain and Portugal at the moment, they’re having the lights cut out. And we can be pragmatic and we can be sensible,” he said.
Net Zero at Heart of Coalition Standoff?
Discussions between the Nationals and Liberals on renewing their coalition agreement are continuing.One key point of contention is whether both parties will recommit to the 2050 net zero emissions target—a global pledge aimed at balancing emissions with carbon removal.
Liberal leader Sussan Ley addressed the issue briefly during her first media appearance on May 14, stating, “There won’t be a climate war.”
When asked whether the net zero commitment could determine the future of the coalition, Littleproud downplayed the tension.
“I think there’s a lot of commentary that has been misguided. We already have a position on that, not on television,” he said, reaffirming that “our policy has been to support it.”
He also acknowledged the recent personal loss suffered by Ley, which had delayed some of the leadership-level talks.
Liberal Moderates and Labor Press for Clarity
Meanwhile, Liberal Senator Jane Hume has cautioned her party against dropping the net zero target.Hume said the issue should be left to each party room, but made her own position clear.
“The electorate has sent us a very clear message [about] what it is that they want in their government,” she told Sky News.
“Abandoning net zero, I don’t necessarily think is consistent with that.”
Last week, Energy Minister Chris Bowen called on the Opposition to put an end to political gridlock on climate policy, warning that wavering on net zero deters investment and disrupts Australia’s energy transition.
Bowen interpreted Labor’s election victory as a public endorsement of its clean energy strategy.
“Trouble is, it takes two to tango,” he said. “If you’re going to review net zero, I’m sorry, you’re keeping the climate wars going, particularly if you decide to scrap net zero.”
Bowen criticised the Coalition’s pre-election commitments, which included walking back several proposed offshore wind zones, arguing that such plans created “sovereign risk” and made energy companies wary of investing.
One such instance involved U.S. renewable energy company BlueFloat Energy, which paused its feasibility application in the Illawarra offshore wind zone amid the political uncertainty.
“We’ve seen offshore wind proponents saying, ‘Let’s wait and see the election result’ before deciding how they want to handle things,” Bowen said.
