Train-wreck interview moment Liberal Party MP repeatedly fails to answer a simple question about net zero
The Liberal Party’s climate spokesperson has repeatedly dodged answering whether any investment groups lobbied for the Coalition to ditch the net zero emissions target.
Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Dan Tehan on Thursday night was grilled by ABC 7.30 host Sarah Ferguson over the Coalition’s net zero saga.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley on Thursday confirmed the Liberals would join the Nationals in pushing to scrap the net zero emissions by 2050 policy.
While discussing their proposed policy to replace the target, Ferguson repeatedly called out Tehan for refusing to ‘answer the question’ she asked.
In the most blunt exchange in the interview, Ferguson questioned: ‘Has a single member of Australia’s investment community encouraged you in this new policy?’
‘This policy is all about Australian households,’ Tehan answered.
Ferguson repeated her question: ‘Has a single member of Australia’s investment community encouraged you in this new policy?’
‘Sarah, as you know, we released our policy this afternoon,’ Tehan said.
ABC 7.30 host Sarah Ferguson (pictured) questioned Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Dan Tehan about the Liberal Party’s decision to scrap a net zero emissions target
Ferguson claimed Tehan (pictured) repeatedly avoided answering her questions
‘Can I say to your viewers, this is about you, this is about energy affordability.’
Ferguson then cut Tehan short and shut down any further discussion.
‘You haven’t answered my question so we’ll draw the line under that,’ she said.
‘Dan Tehan, thank you very much indeed for joining us.’
The curt interview came after a gruelling five-hour meeting between all 51 Liberal MPs and senators regarding emission targets on Wednesday, culminating in the shock policy announcement on Thursday.
‘If elected, we will remove the 43 per cent 2030 target and its net zero by 2050 target from the Climate Change Act,’ Ley announced at Thursday’s press conference.
‘Australians deserve affordable energy and responsible emissions reduction. And the Liberal Party believes we can do both – but affordable energy must come first.
‘Under Labor, there has been this trifecta of failures: prices up, reliability down, and emissions flatlining.
Opposition Leader Sussan ley (pictured with Tehan on Thursday) announced her party would move to scrap the current target to reach net zero emissions by 2050
‘Labor’s net zero policies of mandates and taxes are hurting businesses, and they’re pushing up prices.’
Tehan added the Liberals wouldn’t oppose the opening of new coal power stations.
‘We will take a technology agnostic approach. So we will let the market determine how we go about that approach,’ he said.
The party will also support existing coal power plants.
‘We will support the state governments… who are already sweating their coal assets,’ Tehan said.
‘We have to make sure we keep capacity in the system. We will use all our natural resources to bring downward pressure on energy prices.
‘Getting capacity into the system is an absolute priority.
‘We will be the only party – or the only two parties, as a coalition – that is saying to the Australian people, when it comes to energy abundance, we will use all our resources, and when it comes to reducing emissions we will also use all of the available technology.’
However, the Liberals have pledged to keep ongoing annual emissions cuts ‘in line with comparable countries and as fast and as far as technologies allow without imposing mandated costs’.
