The Climate Change Bill, which legislates a 43 per cent target for reduction in emissions by 2050, passed the lower house in Canberra earlier this month.
Member for Indi Helen Haines raised motions that would put more power in the hands of regional Australia to be at the forefront of the change.
The Coalition opposed the move, causing Dr Haines to label the Nationals “dinosaurs” on climate policy.
Mr Birrell said while the amendments were “good and positive”, he said the proposed Climate Change Authority, which would oversee benefits for the regions, was a red flag for him.
“When I hear about an authority set up by Labor I think of the Murray-Darling Authority, which was a disaster,” he said.
Mr Birrell said the Nationals wanted a body like the productivity commission to oversee the changes, which he said would be proposed before the bill moved to the upper house.
He said while the Nationals were “100 per cent for the targets”, he said it was “dangerous” to legislate emissions reductions due to improving technology.
“We might get technology which can make big leaps and bounds but it might not appear until, say, 2030 or later,” he said.
“There’s a strong focus on net zero in the Nationals party room, I’ve seen it, and as I said it’s about how we get there, not if we get there.
“We need to make sure there’s investment to back it up, not just legislation. It has to be backed up by dollars, which is what we did.”
Dr Haines, whose electorate borders Mr Birrell’s, said the regions had been let down by the Coalition.
“I am disappointed members of the Coalition who purport to represent regional Australia did not support my amendments,” Dr Haines said.
“By voting against these amendments, the Coalition voted against jobs and investment in the regions, and put party politics above their own communities’ interests.”
