THE HON DAN TEHAN MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR ENERGY AND EMISSIONS REDUCTION
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR WANNON
INTERVIEW WITH SARAH FERGUSON
ON 7.30
Tuesday, 4 November 2025
E&OE……………………………………
SARAH FERGUSON: Dan Tehan is the Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction. Dan Tehan, welcome back to 730.
DAN TEHAN: Pleasure to be with you again, Sarah.
SARAH FERGUSON: Is dropping Net Zero now the only path to ending disunity in the Liberal Party?
DAN TEHAN: Well, as I've said, and as Sussan has said, we're going through a process, we're going through a Liberal Party process, the National Party are going through their process, and then once both processes are finalised, we will come together, and we will agree a joint position.
SARAH FERGUSON: Isn't that... Isn't that process, Dan Tehan? Isn't that lots of processes in your answer there, though? Isn't that process now simply about saving your Leader or replacing your Leader?
DAN TEHAN: No, it's about getting the policy right. Taking the time, getting the policy right, so that we can put an alternative to the Government of the failed approach that we're seeing under Anthony Albanese and Chris Bowen, which has seen electricity prices rise by 39%. It's seen electricity prices put inflation at this country higher than otherwise would be, which is put in pressure on households and on the family budget. So the most important thing we do here is get our policy right, because it's absolutely clear that the Labor Party approach is failing.
SARAH FERGUSON: You said that, you said earlier today that it's imminent, clearly you've described the situation that, in your view, is urgent. So what are you waiting for?
DAN TEHAN: Well, I said, from the very start, that it would take six to nine months, and I'm working methodically through this issue. Obviously, I've got to consult with colleagues. I've got to consult with industry. I've got to get a sense of what energy retailers are saying. We've got to look at those hard to abate sectors, like agriculture and land transport, and bring all that together in a coherent policy. Now, as I've said, we've got to make sure we get it right, because if we do, we can then make sure we hold the government to account for its failing approach.
SARAH FERGUSON: But the problem with you taking so long to do this, the six to nine months that you're talking about, it now means that the Nationals are leading the policy debate inside the Coalition on this issue. Do you regret letting them take control of this issue inside the Liberal Party?
DAN TEHAN: No, we're always having independent processes, and that was clear, and obviously, they, in the first instance, they were suggesting that it might take them over 12 months now. They decided to shorten the time frame that they were operating in.
SARAH FERGUSON: How much difficulty did, how much difficulty, how much difficulty did that create for you and for Sussan Ley?
DAN TEHAN: None at all. I've been meeting with the National Party through our working group. Every week that the Parliament has sat this year, or, well, since May. And we'll continue to do that. I'm doing that again tomorrow. We've had very constructive engagement as part of that working group. So what we've been doing, while each individual party has been doing their work, we've also been coming together to make sure we've got a dual track process, and that has worked very, very effectively. So the fact that the National Party came out on the weekend hasn't changed the approach that we're taking, as you know, we had a very important meeting of all our Liberal Party MPs, or a lot of our Liberal Party MPs last Friday, was incredibly constructive. The thing that I took out of that meeting was, how much we agree on? We have to have an energy affordability first approach. We've got to make sure we do our fair share when it comes to emissions reduction. And make sure that our approach is one which is about energy abundance, rather than the restrictive approach that the Government is taking.
SARAH FERGUSON: Now, you say that meeting was a constructive meeting, but at the moment, and publicly, a number of your colleagues, Liberal, moderates, are saying that abandoning this policy will make you unelectable to new generations of young voters, especially in urban areas. Have you lost sight of that?
DAN TEHAN: I’ve always said that this policy was going to be like threading a needle, and there are a variety of views, when it comes to our party room, when it comes to the Coalition on this issue. And that's why it's challenging, and I haven't resolved from that in any way. But what I want to do is make sure that the policy approach that we take is absolutely in our national interest. And if we can do that, I'm sure that we can get everyone on the same page, because I can tell you one thing, we're absolutely all united on, and that is that the Government's approach when it comes to energy, and climate change is absolutely failing the Australian people and failing our nation.
SARAH FERGUSON: So what happens through No, let me just... Let me just... If I may... ...
DAN TEHAN: And we are see high electricity bills … loss in our international competitiveness... in so many ways.
SARAH FERGUSON: I just want to stay with the , I just want to stay Dan Tehan with the moves inside the Liberal Party, cause a number of them have said that they would move to the back bench if you go ahead and abandon Net Zero, which is what it is looking like you are about to do. So what will happen, again, to Sussan Ley's leadership? If she loses a bunch of her supporters, the moderates, to the back bench, if and when you drop net zero, a commitment to net zero by 2050.
DAN TEHAN: Well, Sarah, one of the things that I've never done is, is answer question based on big ifs. What I always do is make sure I'm focussed on doing the right thing by the Australian people, and by our nation, and that's what I'll continue to do, and that's why getting this policy approach is so right, because I don't think there is a more important issue for our nation, the going forward, than getting our energy and emissions reduction policy right, because without energy abundance, without the power that we need to grow our nation, then we're going to see our living standards to continue to collapse like they are under this Government. My focus is just about making sure I get the policy right, and that's what I intend to do.
SARAH FERGUSON: Do you support the National's push to double down on coal fired power?
DAN TEHAN: Look, I respect the National Party process. We're a Coalition.
SARAH FERGUSON: You respect it, but do you support, do you support their position to double down on. the use of coal?
DAN TEHAN: Well, Sarah, I'm going through a policy process at the moment, and what I've got to do as part of that is I've got to make sure that we have a Liberal approach, and then I've got to reach across and make sure that we bring the National Party on board so that we've got a Coalition approach. Now, that's going to take some give and take. I can tell you what I do support, is energy affordability first, is an absolute priority, and us doing our bit when it comes to emissions reduction.
SARAH FERGUSON: So does that mean, does that mean that an option for more coal, as the Nationals put forward yesterday, could become a unified Coalition policy?
DAN TEHAN: Well, Sarah, I know you'd love me to announce our policy here on your program, but that would be not respecting my parliamentary colleagues, and I'm not going do that. But what I will say to you is that our policy will be in the national interest, and it'll make sure it puts energy affordability first and emissions reduction as a very serious part of what we're looking to do, and it will then enable us to hold this very, very bad Government to account when it comes to energy, because their focus seems to be energy, poverty, as far as I can see.
SARAH FERGUSON: And just briefly, your portfolio, as I said at the beginning, is Emissions Reductions, without a target, this is the National's position, without a target, isn't an open-ended commitment to reduce emissions essentially meaningless.
DAN TEHAN: Well, Sarah, what I'll continue to say is, I've got to develop a policy. I got to make sure it's a serious policy. I've got to make sure it's serious when it comes to emissions, reduction, and that's what I'm seeking to do, and I've also got to make it serious when it comes to putting downward pressure on electricity prices and energy prices. And that's what I'll continue to do, and I'll do it in the national interest, not on some ideological pursuit, like Chris Bowen and Anthony Albanese seem to be pursuing at the moment.
SARAH FERGUSON: Dan Tehan, thank you very much indeed for joining us this evening. I appreciate it.
DAN TEHAN: Thank you, Sarah.
ENDS
Contact: Phil Connole E | philip.connole@aph.gov.au
