Labor leader avoids criticism of Joel Fitzgibbon after he argued party should be less ambitious on climate policy

Anthony Albanese declined to criticise his resources spokesman, Joel Fitzgibbon, for arguing the ALP should lower its ambition on climate policy as the Labor leader confirmed a backflip on the Morrison government’s controversial “big stick” legislation.

Asked on Tuesday whether he supported Fitzgibbon’s recent call for Labor to adopt the Morrison government’s 2030 emissions reduction target of 26% to 28%, Albanese stepped around any direct criticism of the veteran New South Wales rightwinger, who is a key internal supporter, but insisted Labor’s future emissions reduction target would be formulated “in accordance with the science”.

Fitzgibbon copped a blast from colleagues in both the right and left factions on Monday night for his public intervention last week, which was slapped down quickly by the shadow climate spokesman, Mark Butler, who said Labor could not accept a lowball target.

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Albanese also confirmed Labor would support the Coalition’s big stick proposal with two amendments – one ensuring it couldn’t be used as a back door means of privatising state-owned assets and the other requiring a review before the legislation sunsets in 2025.

Labor opposed the big stick during the last parliamentary term, characterising it as a bizarre Venezuelan-style intervention that would chill investment.

But Albanese said the Morrison government had amended the original proposal, which happened after an internal revolt from Liberal backbenchers concerned the law was fundamentally inconsistent with the pro-market philosophy of the government.

After objections from backbenchers, the treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, adjusted the package last year to make it clear that the federal court, and not a minister, was to be the decision maker if a divestiture was to be ordered, and the package would sunset in 2025.

Even though Labor was unconvinced by the reworking at the time, Albanese said on Tuesday that Labor could now support the current draft of the bill with the two amendments, which he said the opposition would insist on. “This is very different legislation,” the Labor leader said.

The Labor caucus also resolved on Tuesday to propose its own motion declaring a climate emergency. A separate proposal has been championed by the Greens, and Labor has been mulling whether or not to support that motion, but there was a desire in the caucus for Labor to bring its own motion to parliament.

The motion to be proposed by Butler and seconded by Pat Conroy, the junior shadow minister in the portfolio, who like Fitzgibbon holds a seat in the Hunter with a significant mining constituency, says the failure to meet the Paris goals would have “unprecedented and devastating environmental, economic, societal and health impacts for Australia” and it says the threat posed by warming constitutes a climate emergency.

Neither parliamentary motion has any chance of succeeding unless Liberals vote in favour of it – which at this stage seems unlikely. The minister for emissions reduction, Angus Taylor, told parliament “while some in this place are keen on symbolism, we are keen on real and meaningful action”.

Emissions have been rising in Australia since the Coalition abolished the carbon price legislated by Labor during the Gillard government, and the prime minister has recently criticised the United Nations for prodding Australia to deliver on the undertakings the current government made voluntarily under the Paris agreement.

The British parliament declared a climate emergency in May, endorsing a parliamentary motion moved by the Labour party. Conservative MPs in the UK were told to not oppose the Labour motion. A number of Australian councils have also declared a climate emergency.

The Australian Medical Association has formally declared climate change a health emergency, pointing to “clear scientific evidence indicating severe impacts for our patients and communities now and into the future”.