Australia news live: Sussan Ley confirms Liberals abandoning net zero target, saying ‘affordable energy must come first’
Ley makes it official: the net zero emissions target is gone from the Liberal platform
She said:
The Liberal party will remove a net zero target from our policy. And if elected, we will remove the 43% 2030 target and its net zero by 2050 target from the Climate Change Act. We remain committed to the Paris agreement and to doing our fair share to reduce emissions.
But we will do it in a way that protects households and budgets and keeps our economy strong.
Ley said Australia should be a country where Australian resources “help Australians first”.
You all know that Australians have been absolutely crushed by cost of living increases.
Key events
Sussan Ley is speaking in Canberra
Opposition leader Sussan Ley is speaking in Canberra.
She’s starting with attacks against Labor’s energy policies:
Australians deserve affordable energy and responsible emissions reduction. And the Liberal party believes we can do both. But affordable energy must come first.
Josh Taylor
Meta working to let teens keep Messenger without having Facebook account
Earlier we brought you the news that teens under the age of 16 would not be able to keep using Messenger once the social media ban kicks in from 10 December because you can only access Messenger with a Facebook account.
Meta has been in touch and says the company is working to fix this issue so kids will still remain part of the family group chats.
A spokesperson said:
We’re working on a solution to maintain access to Messenger for teens so they can stay connected with friends and family, despite the ban taking effect just before the summer holidays.
Josh Butler
Andrew Hastie to PM after the Liberals’ net zero move: ‘We are coming for you’
Most Liberal MPs are staying quiet publicly for the moment, with Sussan Ley about to speak on the net zero discussion, but backbencher and leadership aspirant Andrew Hastie seems happy about the decision.
In an Instagram Story post, Hastie published a screenshot of Anthony Albanese’s comments calling the Liberals a “clown show” this morning. Hastie wrote the caption: “I sense your fear @AlboMp”, tagging the PM’s Instagram handle.
He went on: “we are coming for you …”
Teen who fatally stabbed woman near Brisbane sentenced to 16 years’ jail
A teenager who fatally stabbed a grandmother in front of a young girl has been jailed for 16 years over a murder that sparked landmark law reforms, AAP reports.
Vyleen White was murdered by the boy, then aged 16, in a car park at Redbank Plains shopping centre, west of Brisbane in February 2024. The teen quickly approached White and demanded her car keys, then inflicted a 17cm-deep knife wound that was fatal.
The teen later pleaded guilty to the murder, as well as car theft and three counts of stealing.
The 70-year-old’s death was a catalyst for the Queensland Liberal National government’s controversial “adult crime, adult time” laws, ensuring juveniles face at least 20 years in custody for murder.
However, they are not retroactive, meaning the teen was on Thursday sentenced under Queensland’s previous laws after earlier pleading guilty to murder.
Chief Justice Helen Bowskill said:
(Ms White) was a person who mattered greatly to her family and her community. All lives matter. They are precious. They are not to be wasted by selfish and senseless acts of violence.
Patrick Commins
More on today’s great labour force figures, which showed the unemployment rate fell to 4.3% in October
The latest figures reversed a shock rise to 4.5% in the previous month that had some economists fretting that the jobs market was on the verge of a major downturn.
The 42,200 increase in the number of employed Australians in October included a 55,300 jump in full-time work, offset by a 13,100 fall in part-time employment.
For context, the economy added more jobs in October than it did in the previous five months combined.
It follows a stretch of weak labour force reports that suggested the jobs market in 2025 was struggling to make the transition from government-led employment growth to private sector hiring.
The underemployment rate – which includes the unemployed and those with jobs but are trying to get more hours – also fell 0.2 percentage points to 5.7%.
Terry Rawnsleya senior economist at KPMG, the Australian Bureau of Statistics data “show that the labour market is proving resilient”.
Despite some challenging economic headwinds, both employment and hours worked have increased significantly.
Penry Buckley
Sydney Trains worker stood down after reportedly attending neo-Nazi rally
A Sydney Trains worker has been stood down pending an investigation into his reported attendance at Saturday’s neo-Nazi rally outside NSW parliament.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Sydney Trains confirmed the decision and said it was “very concerned with the matter”.
In the interim, Sydney Trains has directed the employee not to attend work while the matter is examined.
The employee’s role is frontline and his actions are not supported by Sydney Trains or Transport for NSW and are not in line with public sector values.
Tom McIlroy
Allegra Spender says Liberals have ‘abandoned’ action on climate change
Wentworth MP Allegra Spender has lashed the Liberal party for ditching support for net zero by 2050 policies.
Spender, who beat Liberal Dave Sharma in the 2022 teal wave, says the opposition has “abandoned evidence-based policy thinking”.
Let’s be clear – the Libs have abandoned climate action and the need of businesses having certainty to invest. They are playing culture wars with energy policy and the country is worse for it.
They have no serious plans to reduce household power bills or business energy costs and have refused to provide a stable political environment for businesses to make investments.
Spender points out Australia is more vulnerable to floods, storms, droughts and coastal erosion than most countries.
We need concerted international action but the Libs would reduce our chance to reduce global warming by influencing international action.
The Coalition’s delayed climate action is just climate denial again.
Sussan Ley to speak in just under an hour
Josh Butler
We’re hearing Sussan Ley and Dan Tehan will hold a press conference around 2.15pm to explain the Liberal decision to dump a net zero target. High on the list of topics for questioning will be how they explain their intention to stay in the Paris agreement but ditch a net zero target.
So what happens now? With the Liberal position now decided, they will try to hash out a defined Coalition joint position with the National party – so this story has a few days to go yet. The joint party room of Libs and Nats will meet on Sunday virtually, but ahead of that, three people from each party will meet over the next few days to try and come to an agreed mutual position.
For the Liberals, the delegation will be Dan Tehan, Jonno Duniam and Sussan Ley; for the Nationals, it will be Matt Canavan, Susan McDonald and Ross Cadell.
Coalition ‘unelectable’ after net zero move, Zali Steggall says
Zali Steggalla teal MP elected in 2019, says the Coalition is now “unelectable” after the “reckless” decision to abandon a net zero by 2050 target.
Steggall just released a statement condemning the move:
At the last election, one in three Australians voted for an independent or minor party – a clear sign that millions feel the major parties no longer represent them.
Today’s announcement shows the federal Liberals, just like the Nationals, are now even further removed from community expectations over climate action in Australia. This decision makes the Coalition unelectable.
She goes on to say reports that a commitment to the Paris climate agreement would remain part of the Liberal platform make no sense.
I note media reports that the Liberals’ position is that Australia should remain in the Paris agreement while scrapping its net-zero commitment. I do not understand how this is compliant with the rules of the agreement, which requires all signatories increase their commitments over time.
And Jervis-Bardy
After Liberals agree net zero position, talks to start with Nationals
A bit more info on the next steps to settle the Coalition’s policy after the Liberal party resolved its position.
Three Liberals and three Nationals will be chosen to negotiate a joint position, which will be put to a joint party-room meeting on Sunday for endorsement.
Guardian Australia has confirmed the three Nationals representatives in the talks will be Matt Canavan and Ross Cadell – who led their party’s internal review of net zero – as well as Susan McDonaldthe shadow resources minister.
Liberals ditch net zero emissions by 2050 target
And Jervis-Bardy
The Liberal party will abandon a firm net zero emissions target, siding with the Nationals to end the Coalition’s commitment to the climate goal.
The opposition leader, Sussan Leyis expected to announce the decision on Thursday afternoon after the Liberal shadow ministry met to finally resolve a position following months of bitter infighting.
The shadow ministry agreed a future Coalition government would not withdraw from the Paris agreement, which was a red line for moderate Liberals such as Andrew Bragg and Maria Kovacic.
In a olive branch to moderates who wanted the target retained, MPs will be free to argue that reaching net zero would be a “welcome outcome” in the future, two sources confirmed to Guardian Australia.
