Liberal MPs Defy Opposition Leader On Climate Target Proposal

Australia's Opposition leader Peter Dutton faced criticism from his own party MPs on the issue of the Coalition abandoning the 2030 interim climate target if voted to power.

While Liberal MP from Tasmania Bridget Archer called Dutton's stance on reducing the target of emission levels as "regressive," some called the party's discussion on the topic "nonsense" and "messy."

Archer stated that any alternative plan on the same should be revealed to the voters before the election, due by May 2025, ABC News reported.

"The current targets are already legislated. They are the targets," she said. "If we were planning to change that I think it would be reasonable to put it to the Australian people at an election. Of course I also think it would be a regressive step."

Two years ago, Archer had broken ranks with her party and voted for the 2030 target and the net-zero by 2050 target when they were legislated.

Another Liberal MP, on the condition of anonymity, called the Liberal party's discussion on the climate target as "ill-disciplined" and "three days of nonsense."

On Tuesday, Dutton repeated his plan to abandon Labor's current target of reducing emissions by 43% by 2030, saying it is unachievable. He added that his party would have an interim goal for 2030, which would be revealed after the elections if the Coalition forms the next government.

"We'll look at the prevailing economic conditions after the next election and we'll make announcements in due course," News.com quoted Dutton.

Maintaining that he has a better proposal, Dutton said his intention is not to chase a target that would add pressures to households and businesses.

"I'm not going to sign up to an arrangement that destroys our economy and sends families and small businesses into bankruptcy. I'm just not going to do that," Dutton told reporters in Sydney.

Meanwhile, the Australian Energy Council, which represented electricity companies and gas wholesalers and retailers, the Business Council of Australia and the Australian Industry Group argued that Coalition should adhere to the legislated 43% cut compared with 2005 levels, which would support in achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, The Guardian reported.

Though some business groups said the 43% target was difficult to achieve, they did not agree with Dutton's stance that it was unachievable.