Malcolm Turnbull dismisses climate change policy review criticisms from colleagues
Updated
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has dismissed suggestions from members of the Coalition that reviewing the nation's climate change policies is dangerous, despite one senator arguing it was "one of the dumbest things" he had heard.
Key points:
- Cory Bernardi says introducing a carbon tax is the "dumbest thing I've heard"
- Barnaby Joyce says the Government does not support a carbon tax
- Malcolm Turnbull maintains a review has been "a part of the Coalition's policy for many years"
Deputy Prime Minister and Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce and Liberal backbencher Cory Bernardi have been quick to try to shut down talk of a return to carbon pricing.
On Monday, the Government released the terms of reference for the review — which did not rule out a type of carbon price on emissions-heavy power generators.
"The review of the climate policy which will be undertaken next year has been part of the Coalition's policy for many years, long before I was Prime Minister," Mr Turnbull said in Sydney this morning.
"This is absolutely part of our policy; it's part of the policy we took to the election in 2013 and 2016 and, indeed, we took to the election in 2010.
"This is business as usual."
Former prime minister Tony Abbott scrapped Labor's carbon tax in 2014.
Mr Turnbull said he had never supported a carbon tax.
"There are many distinguished members of the Coalition parties who have supported a carbon tax over the past — I've never done," he said.
Mr Joyce told the ABC's 7.30 program the Government did not support a carbon tax, saying they had "said that quite clearly".
"They can investigate possibilities, we're honouring our commitments, we're going to meet our commitments to the Paris protocol — in fact we're going to outdo it," he said.
"I can only tell you what the position of the Coalition is now, and I can tell you what the position of the National Party is now, we don't support a carbon tax."
'One of the dumbest things I've heard'
Conservative senator Cory Bernardi went even further in his rhetoric and said debating the issue was only going to "cause division".
"It might make us lauded by the Greens and the Labor Party and the rent seekers, but this is one of the dumbest things I've heard in politics in recent times," Senator Bernardi told Sky News.
"It beggars belief that we think we're somehow going to come out winners from this.
"I don't know why it's on the table. I don't know why a serious policy dispute that's been resolved in the Liberal Party has been reopened."
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said he had little confidence in the Federal Government's approach to reducing carbon emissions, and argued any approach to climate change must be holistic.
Topics: climate-change, federal-parliament, government-and-politics, environmental-policy, australia
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