Which moderate Liberal MP’s voted for and against net zero?

At the press conference following the official abandonment of the policy, Ruston said: “Reality tells us that we must always reach a compromise.”

Ruston will join Liberal right-winger Jonno Duniam and opposition energy and emissions reductions spokesman Dan Tehan in talks with the National Party over the Coalition stance ahead of Sunday’s joint party meeting.

In doorstep interviews on both Wednesday and Thursday, NSW Senator Dave Sharma dismissed questions about the party’s ability to win back independent-held seats in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth, arguing the party was developing a policy for all Australians.

Sharma lost the seat of Wentworth in the 2022 election to independent challenger Allegra Harcayici, who is running a climate action campaign. He is currently in the Senate and will replace Marise Payne in 2023.

Earlier in the month, Sharma suggested the Nationals and Liberals may have to split if the parties cannot reach an agreement.

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“The Nationals have determined their own policy. It is now up to the Liberals to determine our policy… if the two cannot be reconciled then we need to consider the future of the Coalition,” said Sharma. He did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Ahead of Wednesday’s party room meeting, frontrunner Julian Leeser said: “I have been very clear about my support for maintaining net zero targets, but I also have ambitions around reducing prices and improving reliability.” During the meeting, he spoke in favor of maintaining net zero.

Asked at the time whether he would continue his support if Ley abandoned net zero, Leeser said: “Sussan Ley has my support. She is doing a very good job in very difficult circumstances. There is no harder job than being leader of the opposition.” Leeser did not respond when contacted for comment on Thursday.

Tasmanian senator Richard Colbeck walked into Wednesday’s party room meeting with Ley, carrying a report from the pro-Liberal think tank Blueprint Institute titled “Winning back the coalition’s missing middle”. That report found a poll of former Liberal voters found 54 per cent want the opposition to stick to ambitious climate targets.

He told reporters in Canberra earlier on Wednesday that he had “taken a good look at all the data” and hoped the party would present a “serious” offer to voters. He left the meeting alone and silent. He had no comment Thursday.

Immigration spokesman Paul Scarr, environment spokeswoman Angie Bell and supporter Mary Aldred spoke in favor of net zero at Wednesday’s party room meeting but did not comment on Thursday. Indigenous Australians spokeswoman Kerrynne Liddle’s position in the room was unclear.

Victorian senator Jane Hume spoke in favor of net zero in the party room on Wednesday, but this byline Inside Politics A podcast last week said the debate over the word net zero was “crazy” and that both Coalition partners agreed on almost everything.

Only one Moderate, Sen. James McGrath, spoke against net zero at Wednesday’s party room meeting or during last week.

McGrath told reporters as he entered Parliament House on Wednesday that the party wanted to “make sure we protect Australian jobs and Australian businesses, but more importantly make sure electricity is affordable and reliable”.

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“We’ll get a deal today and we can move on and focus on Labor,” the moderate Liberal said. “They’re ridiculous, as is a pretty ridiculous government.”

Although not part of the moderate faction, two of Ley’s closest lieutenants, director of opposition affairs Alex Hawke and communications spokeswoman Melissa McIntosh, spoke against net zero at Wednesday’s meeting.

Senator Andrew McLachlan, a member of the party’s right wing, has spoken out in favor of net zero, telling this imprint that “Scott Morrison will continue to defend Liberal targets of reaching net zero by 2050.”