The Coalition strongly rejects Labor's economy-wrecking 2035 emissions reduction target, a fantasy that rests on flawed assumptions and cannot be believed.
It cannot be believed because it assumes the government achieves its 2030 target, which experts have overwhelmingly said it will not.
Worse still, Labor is withholding the cost of its 2035 plan from the Australian people, and refusing to reveal the economic impact on households, businesses and regional communities.
We have seen this horror show before. Labor announced its 2030 target, produced glossy modelling, and promised the world.
In reality, it delivered a trifecta of failure: costs went up, reliability went down, and emissions flatlined.
Under this disappointing Labor government Australians were promised a $275 cut in their power bill, instead they are up $1,300.
The government promised emissions reduction but they are stuck at 28 per cent below 2005 levels - exactly where they were when the Coalition left office.
On these promises, Australia cannot and should not trust this government to deliver on its promises.
Climate change is a global problem, and it demands global action. Australia cannot make a difference on its own, but we must play our part. The Coalition will always support sensible action to reduce emissions.
But interim targets must be grounded in reality, achievable in practice, and protect household budgets, jobs, and industry. Labor's new target does none of these.
The only guarantee of this announcement is declining living standards and higher costs for households and small businesses, which is what we have seen under this government despite their previous modelling.
In the global fight for capital, Australia needs to attract investment and strengthen our sovereign capability.
That cannot be done with targets that lack credibility, that don't outline the cost, and that put our competitiveness at risk.
The Coalition will oppose any attempt to legislate Labor's 2035 target.
