Cost of Living Crisis Trumps Climate War: Polling Shows Voters Prioritise Price Relief as Liberals Push Coal

As the Liberal Party prepares for a crunch meeting on Wednesday to thrash out its fractured position on net zero, the latest public polling suggests the party\’s focus on economic relief is exactly what voters are demanding.

New polling from the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age shows that despite the intense, public conflict between conservatives and moderates over climate targets, the Coalition is experiencing a bounce back, with the two-party-preferred margin against Labor tightening to 53-47.

The key to the polling lies in voter priorities: 42 per cent of respondents to the Resolve Political Monitor said their number one issue was keeping the cost of living low. This dramatically outweighs other issues, which registered in the single digits.

This economic focus validates the approach being driven by the Liberals\’ energy review. Energy and Emissions Reduction spokesman Dan Tehan is championing \”energy abundance,\” a concept that hinges on:

• Extending the life of ageing coal fire power stations.
• Introducing nuclear power to the energy mix.

Tehan argues these steps are crucial to bringing down power prices, aligning with the concerns of struggling households.

However, the strategy is tearing the party apart. Conservatives argue ditching net zero will lower prices, while moderates, like Senator Andrew Bragg, insist that a properly managed net zero transition would reduce power prices over time. Bragg has gone so far as to threaten to quit the front bench if the Liberal Party abandons the Paris Agreement, which he sees as crucial for the party\’s credibility.

The Liberals must first reconcile these deep internal splits before attempting to strike a deal with their Coalition partner, the Nationals, who have already voted to scrap net zero. Nationals leader David Littleproud has signaled a willingness to negotiate, but Tehan admits combining the two positions will be like \”threading a needle.\”

Labor Senator Jenny McCallister hit out at the Opposition, stating the public has already \”paid the price for the unbelievable division within the coalition over this.\” Despite the criticism, the latest polling confirms that for the electorate, the cost of living crisis is, for now, the primary issue overshadowing the Coalition\’s climate war.