Nationals Senator to Introduce Private Members Bill to End Net Zero

Joyce pointed out the Coalition went to the election supporting net zero and ‘got walloped.’

Wind turbines are silhouetted against the rising sun near Spearville, Kansas, on Jan. 13, 2021. Charlie Riedel/AP Photo

Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce is aiming to introduce legislation into the Australian parliament to end net zero.

“The idea that, at this stage, we have put the focus of our nation on a lunatic crusade of Net Zero is treacherous to the very security of Australia,” Joyce said in a post to Facebook.

He said Australia had not only destroyed any hope of recreating an industrial base, but had also deindustrialised the nation.

“We have created an energy fiasco of massive cost and unreliability that has smashed our cost of living. We have inflicted great hurt on the most economically vulnerable. We have created a taxpayer multi-billion dollar subsidisation of this failure with borrowed money,” he said.

Joyce said there was no more time to assess and ponder the issue.

“This involves making formal my intention to proceed with a Private Members Bill which then goes before a Parliamentary Selection Committee to decide whether it is brought forward for debate,” he said.

Joyce speculated his bill would attract a lot of interest from the lobbying industry, should it make it to the floor of parliament for discussion.

“The billions being made by a select few out of the destruction of our economy and the security of our nation will not tolerate any threat to their business plan. I am certain that their lobbying, privately and publicly, will become frenetic if this bill has the prospect of debate.”

‘We Got Walloped’: Joyce Reflects on Net Zero Support 

Joyce acknowledged that the policy would not be good for votes, as the Coalition had lost the election while supporting the concept.

“We went to the electorate supporting net zero and we got walloped. So you can’t say it helps you electorally,” Joyce told Sunrise.

However, he raised concerns about Australia’s national security and suggested abandoning net zero would enable Australia to restore the economy and improve national defence.

“We are littering our landscape with wind towers and solar panels. We have one of the highest electricity prices in the globe—and [it is] unreliable. And this is somehow good for Australia when we’ve just been talking about how we defend our nation. It is lunacy. It is an economic lunacy,” he said.

“The sooner we realise, like China has, India has, Indonesia has, the United States of America has, the opposition in England has, most of Southeast Asia, most of South America, most of Africa, that it’s just a crazy scheme, then that is the chance we give ourselves of redeveloping the balance of this nation’s economy so we can defend ourselves.

“So yes, it'll be interesting if Labor have such a strong view, will they allow this to be debated?”

Labor Has Other Priorities 

The government has already legislated net zero and promised 82 percent renewables by 2030 ahead of the election.

Labor has not commented on whether they will debate Joyce’s legislation, indicating their priorities were elsewhere.

Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Amanda Rishworth said the private member’s bill was reigniting the “same old” climate wars.

“Our priority is our first piece of legislation, we will reduce people’s HECS bills by 20 percent. The coalition’s first priority is to reignite the climate wars, stop action on climate change,” Rishworth said.

“We’re getting on with the job of doing meaningful things for people’s lives, like reducing their HECS debt by 20 percent. Like having cost-of-living relief, like actually helping people. And of course, actually investing in renewable energy brings energy prices down.”

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen also criticised the Coalition’s priorities.

“The first legislation the Albanese government will be bringing to the parliament is for a 20 percent cut to student debt. The first piece of legislation from the opposition will be a bill to scrap taking action on climate change,” he said in a post on Facebook.

Coalition Balancing Act on Net Zero 

In May, Liberal Senator Alex Antic also called for net zero to be dumped.

“I’ve never had any time for the net zero concept, I think it’s completely flawed,” he said.

Liberal Leader Sussan Ley is mediating between moderate and right factions, as well as the National Party, on net zero policy.

In late June, she announced she would establish a dedicated Coalition working group on “energy and emissions reduction” policy.