Transcript - Sky News with Kieran Gilbert - 29 July 2025

Melissa McIntosh MP
Shadow Minister for Communications
Shadow Minister for Women
Federal Member for Lindsay

29 July 2025

Subject: Net zero; Parliament. 

Sky News NewsDay with Kieran Gilbert 

Kieran Gilbert

 Welcome back to the program. Let's get some more now from Canberra. Reaction to where the Coalition is at on its internal debates with Liberal front bencher, the Shadow Communications Minister, Melissa McIntosh. When we look at where the Coalition is at right now, are you comfortable with the message that Sussan Ley says, ‘two years and nine months to the next election we've got plenty of time to work things through’ when it comes to energy?

Melissa McIntosh

It feels like we've been in Opposition forever now. But it is really important for us to take our time on this and I think it's right following those processes. We went to the election, we lost, we had a big energy policy on nuclear. It makes sense that we go back to the drawing board. As Dan Tehan also said today, we'll be using that committee process, looking at gas first and foremost. But we had policies on gas previously. I think they were decent policies, but the process will really uncover where we are as a Coalition. I think it's really, really important to do.

Kieran Gilbert

Do you think it's also good to see Sussan Ley hold that? She held a news conference today and exhausted all the questions from the press gallery? It's a shifting approach and I think also one where she's looking to be more constructive as well, is that fair to say, when it comes to things like the educational childcare reform?

Melissa McIntosh

Yeah, I think that was a really good step for Sussan to highlight why we've taken certain positions or why we may support the government. It's something the public might not understand. They'd see us go into the House, or into the Senate and have a vote and not really realise why we are having a vote certain way. And when it comes to the childcare issue in particular, that is such an important issue. It is so distressing to know what kids have gone through in this country, and it's something that we can work with the government on.

Kieran Gilbert

And to be, uh, absolutely a bipartisanship on that front. Do you think that the party room is giving Sussan Ley a fair crack at it, a fair chance? They want to give her some space to …

Melissa McIntosh

Yeah.

Kieran Gilbert

.. be a successful Opposition Leader? Because we're seeing members of the National Party kicking up a stink on net zero? Is it really giving her enough clear air?

Melissa McIntosh

I think Sussan is showing really strong leadership in the processes that she's putting in place. She's not taking her leadership for granted. She's enabling backbenchers, even before we go into party room, to have a say on our legislative positions and have a hearing. Today, we had our party room and we all came out unscathed. And it's part of the beauty, as I've said before, of the Coalition in that we can have differences of opinion.

Kieran Gilbert

It doesn't make the job easy though as Opposition Leader to try and navigate everyone?

Melissa McIntosh

The words ‘job easy’ and ‘Opposition Leader’, I don't think they go hand in hand.

Kieran Gilbert

No.

Melissa McIntosh

But we'll work through these. We'll work through it with the Nats and I think, as I said, that's part of what makes the Coalition, the Coalition.

Kieran Gilbert

And get to a position where you're focusing. I guess the politics, it's 101, isn't it? You need to be focusing on where you feel the weaknesses are on the other side as opposed to talking about yourself?

Melissa McIntosh

Yeah, and it's not the first time that we've been in a position where we're discussing net zero. It's almost Groundhog Day over and over again. So, we have come some distance. We had a really strong policy going to the election, but the Australian people didn't want that policy. So we are, we're going to go through that process again.

Kieran Gilbert

Okay. Thank you, Melissa McIntosh. We'll talk to you soon. Appreciate it.

Melissa McIntosh

Thank you very much.