Can Scott Morrison seize this watershed moment for climate policy?

Andrew Hirst, the no-nonsense Liberal Party federal director, had a blunt warning for cabinet ministers who were still swept up in shock of Morrison's May Miracle.

Images of thick smoke blanketing Parliament House have put
 Australia at the centre of a new global debate on climate change.

In the weeks following the Coalition's election victory, Hirst was invited to present his findings about why and how the government had won re-election, face-to-face with 23 men and women in the cabinet room.

The result was largely driven by economic reasons, those seated around the table recall him saying, and the victory should not be misrepresented by any other issue. It had not been a referendum on climate change, as some had billed it.

Hirst - who had a front-row seat during the past decade of the Coalition climate wars as a senior aide to both Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull - told the room global warming remained a significant issue to many voters, especially in inner-city electorates, and the party remained vulnerable on the topic.

Read the story from The Sydney Morning Herald by Rob Harris - “Can Scott Morrison seize this watershed moment for climate policy?”

Liberals speak out to back Science Minister on climate change action.

Liberal backbenchers have stepped up calls for greater action on climate change ahead of talks of new policy measures within weeks, backing a blunt warning from a senior minister to "move on" from arguments about whether global warming is real.

Liberal MPs are speaking out about the need for action on
 climate change as smoke blankets major Australian cities.

The vocal support counters a smaller group of conservatives within the Morrison government party room who oppose climate action, setting the scene for a clash over policy when Parliament resumes next month.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison pointedly backed Science Minister Karen Andrews on Wednesday after she warned that those who rejected the science on climate change were wasting time when action was needed.

Mr Morrison said Ms Andrews had "well set out" the government policy and signalled again that he would bring forward future policies to adapt to a changing climate while also doing more to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Read the story from The Age by David Crowe - “Liberals speak out to back Science Minister on climate change action.”