The Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce has criticised his “friend” and outspoken colleague Matt Canavan for asking whether the Taliban would sign up Afghanistan to a net zero carbon emissions policy.
As Afghans sought to flee the capital after insurgents stormed the presidential palace in Kabul on Monday, the Queensland Nationals senator took to Twitter to ask: “Does anyone know whether the Taliban will sign up to net zero?”
Canavan has been an outspoken critic of Australia’s move towards net zero carbon emissions by 2050. He stoked controversy last week by claiming a report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that warned of the catastrophic effects of global warming was “fear porn”.
Joyce, the reinstated deputy prime minister, condemned Canavan’s remarks on the Taliban, stating the crisis in Afghanistan needed to be taken seriously.
“The two issues are disparate and should not be conflated,” Joyce told Guardian Australia.
“The Taliban have a history of gross cruelty, murder and persecution. Women raped, girls sent into prostitution, eyes gouged out, beheadings and a litany of deprivation.
“Matt is my friend and I have conveyed that a focus should be empathy and action for Afghanistan – undivided by other issues.”
The former Nationals leader, Michael McCormack, also blasted Canavan’s comments, saying they were “disappointing, insensitive and unnecessary”.
“To compare climate policy with the bloodshed on the streets of Kabul is out of place and unworthy of a member of the Australian parliament,” McCormack said on Twitter. “Our thoughts today should be for the Afghan people and the families of our brave fallen Diggers.”
Nationals MP Darren Chester, who was dumped from his position as veterans affairs minister after Joyce was reinstated as leader, said Canavan “doesn’t speak for me”.
“Offensive, disrespectful and totally lacking in any compassion for the 41 brave Australians who lost their lives, the families who grieve for them, the 39,000 Australians who served in this conflict, and the people of Afghanistan,” he said.
Fellow Victorian Nationals MP Anne Webster said she was “appalled” by Canavan’s statement.
“Afghanistan is under siege. People are afraid and losing their lives. Australian soldiers have lost their lives to protect this nation. I absolutely disassociate myself from this comment.”
On Monday, the Australian Defence Force confirmed 250 troops would be deployed to the region in an attempt to evacuate Australian citizens and visa holders, but said the situation was “highly volatile and dangerous”.
“Defence is taking all necessary precautions to protect its people and those authorised for evacuation. The mission will be constantly assessed against the latest developments,” the department said.
“Australia’s evacuation efforts are being closely coordinated with international partners.”
There are more than 130 Australians in Afghanistan, working in the United Nations, in non government organisations, while others have been granted humanitarian visas, or are in the process of applying for protection.
The Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, said he was “devastated” that the Taliban had regained control, but claimed the 41 ADF personnel killed during the conflict had died “in the great cause of freedom”.
“Everyone who has fallen in an Australian uniform, for our values and under flag, has died in the great cause of freedom, and they are great heroes.”
