Struggling Australians ‘Getting Poorer’ Under Net Zero Policy: Barnaby Joyce

‘We are making them destitute. They can’t afford their power,’ the Nationals MP said.

Two wind turbines are seen in Albany, Western Australia, on April 5, 2024. Susan Mortimer/The Epoch Times

Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce has described Australia’s push to net zero as “lunatic policy,” as snow falls in his electorate of New England.

He raised concerns that there were people who could not afford to keep warm in Bendemeer, New South Wales (NSW).

Snowfall and freezing weather gripped the Northern Tablelands, with towns including Guyra, Bendemeer and Walcha from Aug. 2 to 4.

“No, the actual winner in lunacy is us believing we can change the weather in Australia with a Net Zero policy,” he said in Bendemeer.

“And who pays for this error, foolishness or fraud? The poor who can’t afford to stay warm because of our Net Zero frolic.”

On Sunrise on Aug. 4, Joyce reiterated his concerns with net zero policy.

“What’s happening is we’re seeing so many people in, we had massive snow here during the weekend. Poor people are just getting poorer. We are making them destitute. They can’t afford their power. We are doing this to people in Australia and it’s outrageous and it’s premised around this lunatic policy called Net Zero,” he said.

Joyce raised concerns that net zero would “smash the Australian economy” and deindustrialise Australia.

“We’ve just got to have a reality check. This is not working. It is a crazy policy and it’s got to be ditched and we’ve got to realise that, that ultimately, you’re hurting the poorest,” he said.

However, Minister Tanya Plibersek said Australia needs to do its fair share in the global effort to reach net zero.

“We all agree we need cheaper power. Renewables are the cheapest form of new energy ... Twenty-four coal-fired power stations said they were going to close and Barnaby had no solution for replacing them,” Plibersek said on Sunrise.

“Then they come up with this crazy nuclear plan that would have provided 4 percent of our energy at the cost of $350 billion.

“What is his plan? If he doesn’t want renewables, what does he want? If he doesn’t want renewables, what does he want?”

Australia’s Environment Policies

The Albanese government has legislated net zero emissions by 2050 and is promising 82 percent renewables by 2030.

Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen shared a podcast on BlueSky Social, highlighting his vision for Australia to lead the climate change fight, saying he was “in a hurry.”

The Coalition is undertaking a net zero review following the federal election defeat. At the last election, the Coalition supported net zero by 2050 with nuclear power in the energy mix.

Liberal Senator Alex Antic and Nationals Senator Matt Canavan are among Coalition members to call for net zero to be scrapped.

Shadow Home Affairs Minister Andrew Hastie also recently made a speech criticising those he called “net zero zealots.”

Liberal Party members making up the State Councils in Western Australia and South Australia have both backed motions calling for net zero to be ditched. However, these have not been backed by the state parliamentary parties in either state.

Repeal Net Zero Bill: Joyce

Joyce introduced the private member’s bill, the Repeal Net Zero Bill 2025 into the House of Representatives on July 28.

Introducing the bill, Joyce argued net zero would have absolutely no effect on the climate whatsoever.

He was supported by National Party Member for Flynn Colin Boyce, who said the policy would destroy the economic base in Australia.

“In the Flynn electorate, there are over 90 renewable energy projects that will be covering agricultural land and the ranges up and down the Great Dividing Range—thousands of turbines and millions of solar panels,” Boyce said (pdf).

“This is dividing communities. It is all subsidised, and it makes absolutely no sense because this power generation, the renewable energy sector, is unreliable.”

Debate on the private member’s bill was adjourned with no further speakers.

Bowen was surprised that Joyce had introduced the legislation, pre-empting the coalition’s net zero review.