The Morrison government is refusing to divulge modelling underpinning its strategy to cut carbon emissions on the grounds it is confidential cabinet information.
Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor has made a public interest immunity claim on the modelling because it informed or was the subject of cabinet deliberations.
Senator for the ACT Zed Seselja, on the minister’s behalf, informed a Senate estimates hearing on Monday the modelling would not be tabled.
“What you’re asking for is for this committee to be able to effectively interrogate the internal deliberations of cabinet and that has not been the approach in the past,” he said.
Industry department boss David Fredericks would not say if the department provided advice about concessions demanded by the Nationals in exchange for a net zero target.
“If you’re asking about a document which is a political document passing between the National Party and the prime minister, then I can’t comment in on it,” he said.
The majority of Nationals on Sunday ceded in-principle to a target of net-zero emissions by 2050 to which 125 countries have already committed.
Concessions demanded by the junior coalition partner in exchange for its support have not yet been publicly announced as the deal is still being finalised by cabinet.
The coalition has ruled out formally raising its 2030 emissions reduction target.
Senator Seselja said the plan was based on policies Australia already had in place and would be detailed ahead of the COP26 summit starting in six days.
Labor senator Jenny McAllister asked what industry groups had been consulted about the net zero plan.
A departmental official said industry groups had been consulted about the government’s technology roadmap released late last year on which Australia’s COP26 plan was based.
“This is confirming everything we fear about a government entirely addicted to secrecy. You are going to COP with a plan that no one has seen,” Senator McAllister said.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young described the deal for net zero emissions by 2050 as hostage negotiations between Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce.
“It seems to everybody else that the prime minister has no idea what he’s doing and Barnaby Joyce is calling all the shots,” she said.
The department could not detail the emissions projections for 72 coal and 44 gas projects either announced, committed to or under way in October 2020.
By Georgie Moore in Canberra, AAP
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