This week, we had Susan Lee on seven AM, but we weren't alone. Susan Lee was everywhere speaking with everyone.
Yes, nobody was special. You weren't special. I wasn't special.
Actually Raper is the political editor at Channel ten. She spoke to the leader of the opposition too, she did everybody.
I've never quite seen a media blitz like it. Susan Lee is the leader of the Opposition. She joins me. Now, Susan Lee, welcome to Affective.
Here in the studio with you, Susan Lee, thank you for joining the Daily US.
It's a pleasure. Susan Lee. Welcome to the show. Great to be with you a few Good morning, he says, nice to see you this morning. Everything okay, coom morning Karl. You've got the lights on. It's fine.
Everything's fine here in Brisbane.
I'm talking about my affordable energy plan everywhere I go, and I'm asking the Prime Minister one simple question, Karl, when our power price is going to come down?
So this was all about silly the plan.
Why they were ditching net zero, because they were trying to balance, especially for the liberals here to say what is this about? And they were obviously going down this is all about affordable energy, which is a line that will resonate with people. Our energy bills are high. But the second part to it was this big question of climate credibility for the Liberals and they say that their plan will reduce emissions year on year, that's what they want to do, but there are no targets.
That have abandoned targets. So there was that part, But it was all about her.
Leadership, coming out as a strong leader, and this was about shoring up her leadership as well.
So did the media blitz work and what is the chaos and the coalition meant for the government while the press gallery has been looking the other way. I'm Daniel James and you're listening to seven AM today Ashley Raper on the Weekend Camera. Australia has failed to host cop the last ditch effort the past new environment laws and what twenty twenty six would look like if season Lee loses her job. It's Saturday, November twenty two. Actually, let's talk about Susan Lee's decision to get out on the
front foot. This week it was about net zero, but it was also about her leadership. So what is she dealing with right now? Inside the Liberal Party.
Look, you know, there was a very powerful image that happened last week on the Wednesday ahead of that Liberal Party room, and that image has been played over and over again of the right faction coming together. There were the three Liberal women at the front cincin number, Jibber Price, Sarah Henderson, Jess Collins.
There was Aus Taylor and Andrew.
Casety, you know, the two leadership aspirants, and that was very very damaging to Susan Lee.
Then on Sunday, the day that the Coalition partyment was meeting.
And just how I just happened to do this lovely sit down in the paper, this very soft piece. So it was an interview, you know, when he tells everybody that he loves The Devil Wears Prato. It's one of his favorite movies. So this was all happening in the background when you know, we know that the right is agitating and they're happy they got their way on ditching net zero.
But then you've also got the moderates here, and the moderates we know within the Liberal Party are very very upset about ditching net zero. So in terms of Susan.
Lee's leadership, you know, and this blitz. You know, I'm not sure that it was that effective for her.
You've got to give it to us.
She's gone out, she's absolutely given her a red, tackled her head.
On, but I'm not sure what she actually achieved here.
You mentioned the moderates are upset. Do they still have Susan Lee's back?
There weren't a lot of moderates out the week.
A lot of moderates have regular spots in the media, whether it's on Sky News or ABC on radio, and they all pulled out. Mostly there were a few, but Anne Rustin, who was really the Moderate leader now and the Senate, she's a shadow Health minister.
She did come.
Out on Monday and when there were rumors that maybe the moderates had pulled their support from Susan Lee in Andrew Hasey's favor, and she came out, So that's absolutely not true.
The Australian newspaper reported that some are rethinking their support for Lee and want Andrew Hasty to run. Susan Lee's office responded today with a statement issued on behalf of two leading moderates that they continue to strongly support Susan's leadership and that she will lead the party strongly to the next election.
At this stage, the moderates are still backing in Susan Lee, but they are very hurt by this.
What a more right wing replacement fair any better? Is this about her? Or about where the country is at right now, especially giving the support of one nation at the moment.
What we have been seeing with the Liberals federally, and we're six months posts an election, there's always this soul searching and trying to work out what they're doing. And the right faction is very powerful in that room at the moment because in the seats that have been lost in those city seats, a lot of them were the more moderate voices, so those voices aren't in the room.
So it's almost like in a way they're in this echo chamber and speaking to the moderates over the past few weeks as they've worked out this net zero position, they were very concerned. But the right faction right now is very powerful and they are you know, it must be said that they are undermining Susan Lee's leadership with what they're doing and what they're saying. You know, they're not willing to be good soldiers and toe the line,
which makes it very difficult for Susan Lee. But you look at what's happening, you know, with Victoria and even in New South Wales. In Victoria they rolled Brad Baton. I stand continuously proud in the role that I've done and the things that I've done for the community.
And they have a moderate leader in Jess Wilson.
While I was so honored to be elected unopposed by my Liberal party room yesterday Mark Speakman, who was the New South Wales Liberal leader and opposition later he also stepped down, but effectively was chapped as well.
I've had a difficult set of cards handed to me. I've done my best with those, but I think now's the time to hand over the baton.
Now they've installed Kelly Sloan as the Liberal leader.
She's also a moderate.
It's an incredible honor, huge responsibility when I don't take lightly.
I'm ready to.
Work for New South Wales and I thank my colleagues for the faith and the trust that they're placed in me.
Today.
The big states in New South Wales and Victoria where the federal Liberals lost seats six months ago at the election, they're not looking to the right.
Coming up Australia has failed with the host of Global Climate Summit. Actually, the press gallery has been focused on the will they won't they of the coalition's climate policy for weeks on end and rightly so, so what does that meant for the government?
Well, they mean good time, aren't they?
And this has also been the problem, you know with the Liberals and the Coalition not really having their act together right now or fighting amongst themselves that they're not being an effective opposition really and they haven't been for the past six months, which isn't good for democracy. And so look, the government has had a pretty easy ride.
They're very much in a honeymoon period. But you know, we've got the.
Final sitting week of Parliament coming up and there are some tough pieces of legislation that the government does want to get through. So it might not be as smooth sailing this last week for the government as they may have hoped.
What are they looking to achieve in this final week, Well.
They really want to get the environmental protection laws through.
Now this has such been an although exiger that actually predated the Albanese government in twenty twenty two, trying to land these laws that really balances approval for developments, whether it be a mining or housing, balancing that with protecting the environment. They couldn't get it done in the last term when Tanya Plibsek was the Environment Minister. Murray Watt's now being installed as the Environment Minister and he has one job to get these lulls through.
At the end of the day, what I want to make sure of is that the package of reforms that we do pass through the Parliament and I'm very confident that we will do achieve that balance. If that requires tweaks here or there that I'm obviously open to hearing from people, but that's the overarching goal that we're seeking.
They do want to rush them through by the end of parliament, but he has to do a deal.
Obviously, the government doesn't have the numbers in the Senate, so they have to look to the Coalition or the Greens. Now Labor wants to go with the coalition. They feel like that will be an easier path. It's a more palatable path for business as well, and that's how the government is selling that.
Now.
The Coalition has been in disarray, so they haven't been great to negotiate with, and I think that's been problematic with the government.
This week though there has been movement.
The Levels have come out and said look, these are our demands, this is what we want. We could land a deal. The Greens would say, look, you should be dealing with us, but they also want to extend it and there's an inquiry that's pushed out to next year. So look, a lot can happen in the last week to get this deal done.
It's unclear where that will actually happen, though.
This week the Government finally conceded defeat the Turkey over who will host the next cop summit. Why did the government want the.
Job, Well, they wanted it for for a long time.
They want it for a number of reasons, but it was also a big with Pacific Nations and that was a really key part of it because if you look at strategically what the government is trying to do, and you hear the government say this all the time, they want Pacific Nations to turn to Australia as in their words, their partner of choice rather than China, and that's about influence and national security and military and through the Pacific Islands climate change.
They're at the front line. They're feeling the effect.
So it was a big with Pacific lines and that's why Australia wanted it.
They also wanted to.
Look like, you know, they were being proactive on climate change.
It would be big cree to get it also for Adelaide as well.
South Australian government really wanted it because of what it does for the economy. Obviously would be cost to host an event like that. So there's just been this standoff now for such a long time and who was going to blink first and Australia did. But they have got a few things as a result in these negotiations, and so Chris Bolan personally has had a bit of a win. He still gets to be part of the negotiations and he doesn't quite get the title, but he's basically like
the president. And also that there's the carve out that there will be a special Pacific nation focus with a leader's meeting.
You mentioned the cost it was going to costs two billion was one of the estimates that I saw. And there's actually, you know, still a bit of speculation about whether the cop is actually a good vehicle for addressing climate action. Could you argue that the government maybe you've also have dodged a bullet on this as well.
Yes, and I think a lot of people will argue about people withinside the.
Government and outside, and that's very much.
What you've heard from the opposition that it's actually a good thing. And I think people as well within the government think, yeah, probably it's not a bad thing. We look like we tried, we tried really hard, but then we didn't actually have to pay. It's like you're offering to do something and you're like, phew when you don't when you don't actually have to do it. But and
this is something that the Greens are talking about. The government has got a ways well, you know, without a focus on what's happening with tossil fuels in Australia, those sorts of things, so without it's a headache that they now don't need to address by not hosting cop next year.
And actually we're coming to the end of the parliamentary year. Twenty twenty five has also been an election year. There's been a lot of things go down on federal politics. How do you think the government will reflect on the twenty twenty five that they've had and how do you think they'll be feeling about twenty twenty.
Six, Well, you'd have to say it as a very good year for the government. Look, they've just had this resounding, amazing win in May and Anthony Otherneasy has always really boasted about running just a discipline and methodical governments. But it's also like, well, there's always questions around how bold is this government, and I think those questions will start coming out, you know when you look at.
Twenty twenty six.
But in terms of as well the Prime Minister, he's done quite a bit of travel. He's had some problems, you know in Pacific getting some deals through with Banawatu. There's been success with Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The Donald Trump meeting in Washington has.
Gone really well.
So at the end of the year, I think obviously the government will reflect that they've had a very good year. And that's also been helped by the fact that the opposition has been in such a mess. So it could be different twenty twenty six. If the opposition does get its act together seasonally, will probably last, you know, the last living week. How long she lasts next year is
another big question. Very much changed the game. If somebody, you say, Andrew Hasty becomes the leader of the opposition and what then Anthony Albanezi will have to deal with his Prime minister up against the opposition. So there are a lot of unknowns next year. But twenty five they have been able to sail through relatively unscathed.
But there's always a honeymoon period.
There's always a lot of goodwill to this government, but it will dry up at some point.
Well, Ashley, goodwill to you and thank you for coming on seven am.
Thank You.
Seven Am is a daily show from Solstice Media. It's made by Atticus Basto, Ariel Richards, Chris Dangate, Ruby Jones, Sarah McFee, Flavis Evans, zom Vecho and me Daniel James. Our theme music is by Ned Beckley and Josh Horgan of Envelope Potier. As always, thanks for listening, have a great weekend.