Nationals leader David Littleproud and senior Liberals have held secret talks on how to harmonise the Coalition’s energy policies after the junior partner’s decision to ditch net zero triggered a week of leadership turmoil for Sussan Ley.

The meeting on Wednesday evening discussed the potential mechanisms to bring down emissions and how pro-climate moderates could be placated over their concerns on climate mitigation, according to sources familiar with the meeting.

Earlier on Wednesday, one of Ley’s key frontbench allies declared the net zero target was unworkable and unpopular, as the opposition leader’s camp reeled from moderate MPs’ warnings about the political cost of abandoning robust climate mitigation policies.

Communications spokeswoman Melissa McIntosh, who voted for Ley in the

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