Moderate Liberals push back against party move to oppose safeguard mechanism reform

Simon Birmingham has previously warned that the Liberal party might not have learned the lessons of its election defeat. Photograph: Martin Ollman/Getty Images

Liberal moderates Paul Fletcher and Simon Birmingham pushed back against a decision to oppose the Albanese government’s planned overhaul of the safeguard mechanism during shadow cabinet deliberations over the past fortnight.

Labor is pursuing reforms to the safeguard mechanism, introduced first by Tony Abbott, to help drive down pollution from Australia’s heavy emitters in a trajectory consistent with the government’s national climate targets for 2030 and 2050.