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Nation First reports on news from Canberra that the Liberals and Nationals could be about to begin an about-turn on support for Net Zero.

There’s growing talk inside Australia’s centre-right Liberal-National Coalition parties of a full-scale party room debate that could finally put Net Zero on the chopping block.

Not a tweak. Not a rebrand. A clean break.

With Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese preparing to unveil a radical new 2035 climate target, possibly a 75% emissions cut, pressure is mounting on the Liberals and Nationals to face what they’ve avoided for years: that Net Zero is unaffordable, unworkable, and politically toxic.

And this time, some inside the party believe the numbers are shifting. If the leadership allows an open debate, with no gag orders or reprisals, it could mark the beginning of the end for Net Zero in Australia.

Such a party room debate is now being actively considered by the Liberal-National Coalition leadership and could happen in the coming weeks.

• The Liberal-National Coalition leadership is currently considering a full and open party-room debate on scrapping the Net Zero policy altogether.
• Labor’s expected 2035 climate target announcement is forcing the Liberals and Nationals to confront what many believe is an unworkable and damaging commitment.
• The Coalition has not revisited Net Zero since 2021, when it was adopted through backroom deals; now, internal dissent is rising amid energy instability and public discontent.
• Sussan Ley and David Littleproud face critical leadership tests: whether they allow an honest internal reckoning that could reverse Net Zero and reshape national energy policy.
• With global momentum shifting away from aggressive climate targets, the Coalition has a brief window to reject Net Zero and prioritise affordable energy, regional jobs, and national sovereignty.

The significance of a party room meeting to debate Net Zero can’t be overstated. This would be the first time the Coalition has collectively debated Net Zero since it was adopted under Scott Morrison in 2021. The commitment was sold to Australians as “technology, not taxes”, and behind closed doors, there was a backroom deal hammered out to secure the Nationals’ support for the disastrous policy in exchange for promises of regional investment.

Then-Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce made it clear he personally opposed the target, but his party backed it after extracting concessions.

Leadership Needed

Now, with the country reeling from rising energy prices, grid instability, and aggressive climate legislation from Labor, the cracks inside the Coalition are finally widening.

Sources have told Nation First that a virtual party room meeting, possibly via Zoom or teleconference, is being seriously discussed for the coming weeks. The reason? Albanese’s announcement will force the issue. The moment Labor declares its 2035 target, the Coalition will be expected to respond. And for once, there’s a chance that response won’t be a meek “us too”.

Some Liberal MPs are already saying privately what millions of Australians are thinking out loud: Net Zero is killing us.

But many of them are still afraid to speak up. They’re waiting to see if the leadership creates the space for a real debate, with no punishment, no career consequences, and no spin.

And this is where Sussan Ley comes in.

Since taking the leadership of the Liberal Party, Ley’s tenure has been marked by doubt and drift. But here lies an opportunity to change that, decisively. Ley could solidify her position if she allows an honest reckoning with the Net Zero policy. A clean-slate debate, just as the party had in 2015 when Tony Abbott called a marathon session to debate same-sex marriage. That ended in a national plebiscite.

Now, we need that same democratic clarity on the future of our energy system, our economy, and our national sovereignty.

David Littleproud is under similar pressure. With former Nationals leaders Barnaby Joyce and Michael McCormack circling, Littleproud is facing a moment of truth. The Nationals could lead the charge out of Net Zero, just like they did in 2009 when Warren Truss rejected Labor’s Emissions Trading Scheme even while the Liberals were still backing it.

That act of defiance led directly to Tony Abbott’s leadership challenge and the collapse of the ETS. History is sitting on Littleproud’s doorstep. The only question is whether he’s got the steel to act.

Livelihoods at Stake

This isn’t some theoretical policy squabble. This is about your power bill. Your job. Your ability to live and work without being crushed by green ideology imported from Brussels, Davos, and the UN.

Albanese and Bowen are trying to drag Australia down a path the rest of the world is already backing away from. Across Europe, Net Zero targets are being delayed or scrapped. Farmers are in open revolt. Industry is fleeing. And in the U.S., with Donald Trump back in the White House, even the global climate funding tap is turning off.

So why is Australia sprinting towards the fire when everyone else is pulling back?

The answer lies in the political class on both sides that has bought into the lie that Net Zero is inevitable. But here’s the truth: Net Zero is only inevitable if we let it be.

And right now, there’s a narrow, critical window for the Coalition to make a clean break. To admit the policy was a mistake, to tear it up, and to build something that actually puts Australians first: cheap power, energy independence, jobs in the regions, and food on the table.

It all starts with the Liberals and Nationals having a meeting to debate Net Zero. This is now key.

If the leadership has the guts to open it up, and if enough MPs and Senators speak honestly, this could be the moment the Coalition finally remembers who it’s meant to serve. Not the UN. Not the climate lobby. Not the corporate subsidy class. But you.

So now it’s over to you.

Pick up the phone. Call your local Liberal or National MP. Email them. Tell them this party room debate must happen and that Net Zero must be on the table. Tell them this is their moment to stand up or step aside.

Australia can’t afford more silence.
We can’t afford more cowardice.
We need action, and it starts with you making your voice heard.

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Republished with thanks to Nation First. Image courtesy of Adobe.