Distractions as clock ticks on environment reforms
The government faces a ticking clock to pass major nature reforms but says infighting within the coalition has made negotiations harder.
Source: Sky News Australia
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley faces a febrile Coalition party room during the final week of parliament for the year while the government races to pass major environment reforms.
Liberal insiders insist a leadership challenge against Ley is unlikely until 2026, but fights over immigration and climate change are threatening to blow up internally.
There has also been speculation a poor result in the latest Newspoll could trigger a move against Ley by leadership rivals Andrew Hastie or Angus Taylor.
The poll, conducted by The Australian and released on Sunday, revealed a further fall in the Coalition’s two-party preferred position to trail Labor 58 to 42 per cent.
Ley’s net approval rating improved but remains toxic, up from -33 to -29.
The poll also asked respondents to list their preferred Coalition leader.
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Ley, the first woman to lead the Liberal Party, was the top choice of 21 per cent of respondents, just ahead of Hastie on 16 per cent, and Taylor on nine per cent.
Hastie edged Ley for support among older voters and One Nation voters.
Liberal senator James Paterson concedes the party has “more work to do”. Photo: AAP
Speaking before the Newspoll, opposition finance spokesman and senior conservative James Paterson denied his colleagues were about to dump the 63-year-old.
“Politicians are reluctant to comment on polls at the best of times, but it would be particularly unwise to comment on a poll that hasn’t even yet been published,” he told Sky News on Sunday.
“Whatever the results are … I’m sure they will say that we’ve got more work to do,” Paterson said.
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Hastie missed parliament’s last sitting bloc after surgery on his shoulder but the Perth-based MP is expected to be there this week.
Environment Minister Murray Watt says it has been difficult to discuss reforms with the coalition. Photo: AAP
As Labor mounts a last-ditch push to steer long-awaited environment reforms through parliament, Environment Minister Murray Watt said the Coalition’s dysfunction had made talks tricky.
“It has been difficult to conduct negotiations with the Coalition over the last couple of months when they’ve been completely distracted from these sorts of issues by their leadership struggles,” Watt said.
Labor wants to pass a major overhaul of Australia’s environment regulations, arguing the changes will better protect natural sites and speed up approvals of key infrastructure, energy and housing projects.
But the government needs the support of either the Coalition or the Greens to get its laws through.
After offering some concessions to win the minor party’s support, Watt said he was still willing to strike a deal with either side.
“I’ve said all the way through this that no one’s going to get everything they want,” he said in Brisbane on Sunday.
“We are prepared to make some changes, as long as they deliver to both the environment and to business.”
-with AAP
