Mark Butler condemns Labor frontbencher's plan to adopt Coalition climate policy

Shadow climate change minister says Joel Fitzgibbon's suggestion is inconsistent with Paris agreement

The shadow climate change minister, Mark Butler, has slapped down fellow frontbencher Joel Fitzgibbon, declaring Labor cannot support the Coalition's 2030 emissions reduction target because it is inconsistent with the Paris agreement.

Fitzgibbon, who suffered a significant swing against him in his coalmining seat in the Hunter Valley in the May election, used a speech on Wednesday to argue the ALP should offer "a political and policy settlement" on climate policy "to make 28% the target by 2030".