The Liberal Party appears determined to accelerate its journey toward political irrelevance, according to youth researcher Dr Intifar Chowdhury, as it meets to decide the future of its net zero policy while ignoring growing demands for climate action.
Alarming Youth Exodus from Coalition
Recent election data reveals a dramatic erosion of support for the Coalition among younger Australians. In the May election, the party attracted just one in five millennials and only 27% of Gen Z voters - a significant drop from 2022 figures. This reflects a deeper failure to connect with a critical demographic while maintaining a shrinking base of older, predominantly male, regional voters.
Young Australians are maintaining progressive views as they age and increasingly prioritising climate change when casting their ballots. Yet within Coalition ranks, observers struggle to identify any coherent strategy to address this fundamental shift in voter priorities.
Consistent Public Demand for Climate Action
Despite internal party conflicts, Australian public opinion on climate action has remained remarkably consistent over time. Data from the Australian Election Study shows climate has surged as a priority issue, with one in four voters ranking it among their top concerns in 2022, up from just 11.8% in 2010.
Lowy Institute polling reinforces this trend, showing that more than 80% of Australians consistently believe global warming requires action across 16 years of surveys. Approximately 60% maintain this position even when presented with potential significant economic costs.
Recent polling provides additional evidence of public sentiment:
- A Liberal-aligned Blueprint Institute poll found 52% of voters wanted the Coalition to maintain its emissions reduction commitment
- The Guardian's Essential poll reported 44% supported the 2050 net zero goal
- A Redbridge poll showed 37% wanted the Coalition to retain net zero targets
Strategic Missteps and Political Consequences
Dr Chowdhury argues that abandoning genuine efforts to reduce emissions contradicts both scientific consensus and majority Australian opinion. The researcher notes that nearly half of Liberal voters want the party to adopt more progressive policies rather than shifting further rightward.
Millennials and Gen Z now constitute a larger share of the electorate than baby boomers, making their alienation particularly concerning for any party with governing aspirations. While these demographics lean progressive, they're increasingly issues-driven and willing to abandon traditional party loyalties.
Australia remains one of the highest per-capita coal emitters in the G20, despite being a wealthy nation with substantial capacity to address climate challenges. The author dismisses claims that other nations are abandoning net zero targets as 'spectacular nonsense,' noting such arguments persist despite evidence to the contrary.
For a Coalition that should be focused on demonstrating its capacity to govern effectively, ignoring both climate science and demographic reality represents what Dr Chowdhury characterises as 'not strategy, but surrender.' The abandonment of net zero commitments fails not only moral tests but basic electoral mathematics.
