CANBERRA, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has signalled he could vote against the government's proposed energy policy.
Liberal backbencher Abbott told an Australian radio on Wednesday that he believed the Government's energy policy should have no emissions reduction target.
The National Energy Guarantee (NEG), tabled by Australia's Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg, is facing internal criticism ahead of a national energy council meeting in August, with Abbott and fellow backbencher Craig Kelly leading a small group of Coalition dissenters.
"It is not something that any Liberal would like to do," Abbott told the 2GB radio on Wednesday.
"But I don't think we can be expected to support a policy that will continue to drive prices up, and which will deny our industries the affordable 24/7 power for jobs to continue.
"There will be no member of the Coalition that rules out crossing the floor," the Member for Warringah added.
Minister Frydenberg and the government are targeting a 26-percent reduction in on 2005 emissions by 2030, which Labor says is too low and Coalition rebels say is too high - or should not be there at all.
Abbott condemned the policy in Tuesday's weekly meeting of Coalition MPs and senators, claiming he was "misled by bureaucrats" when he committed Australia at the Paris climate talks to reducing all emissions 26-28 percent from 2005 levels by 2030.
Following 15 years of policy uncertainty that has led to high prices and unreliable power, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Australia must meet its Paris commitments set by Abbott in 2015 and "do our bit."
Frydenberg requires approval from his State and Territory counterparts first, then he will need the opposition Labor's backing federally.
Labor agrees "in principle" with the NEG, but wants an emissions reduction target of 45 percent on 2005 levels by 2050.
