As the climate debate reaches another potentially turning point, the hypocrisy that accompanies it should not be allowed to slip from view.

When Labor’s Bill Shorten took a 45% reduction in emissions by 2030 to the 2019 federal election, the Business Council of Australia (BCA) accused him of “economy wrecking”.

Now the BCA is prodding the Morrison government to commit to 45-50% emissions reduction by 2030. The catchcry in 2019 was “How much is it going to cost?”

When similar questions are now asked of the federal treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, he takes up Labor’s former refrain and warns of the cost of inaction. Though that response does not give any quantifiable answer to the question, it is now somehow deemed to be acceptable.

When Mr Shorten envisioned an increase in the use of electric vehicles by 2050, there was a howl of outrage from the likes of Michaelia Cash and Scott Morrison. Our utes were going to be stolen and we were going to be deprived of our weekends. Now electric vehicles are lauded as the way to the future by those self-same detractors. Even Frydenberg drives around in one in his electorate.

As the world moves on to charting a better climate plan, the Coalition hopes its ‘quiet Australians’ will not notice that their government is expediently trying to be seen to be doing what should have been done some time ago.

Frank Carroll