'People are trying to attack me': Barnaby Joyce's mission to blow up net zero

As the former deputy prime minister prepares to table a private member's bill to abolish Australia's net zero by 2050 emissions reduction target, the backbencher says he is squarely focused on advocating for the powerless.

In his regional NSW electorate of New England, Mr Joyce tells this masthead, people are suffering with the soaring cost of living, chiefly high electricity prices.

"We represent the poorest people, power bills they cannot afford," he said.

"Cost of living is beyond them ... Small businesses are saying 'I can no longer afford to run like this, it's just not viable'."

Australia's net zero target was no more than "a virtue signal", he said, arguing it would not make a difference in the global scheme of things.

"I'm not here to say I deny climate change. It's not about that. It's about what you're doing now is not working," he said.

"I want the honest cheapest form of power - and if that's coal, okay, it's coal .. if that is nuclear, it's nuclear," he said, acknowledging a role for renewables, which he calls "intermittent power".

Mr Joyce's lastest move, which included giving a joint interview to The Australian with former Nationals leader Michael McCormack - sparking renewed speculation of a leadership challenge - has created a headache for Opposition Leader Sussan Ley as she seeks to reunite a fractured Coalition.

She told the ABC when asked about the coverage: "Nobody's getting under my skin."

Mr Joyce rejected any suggestion his bill was intended to lay the groundwork for a leadership challenge to Nationals Leader David Littleproud.

"People are trying to attack me on this net zero, so they throw in red herrings," he told this masthead.

"It's about him going for leadership. No, it's not."

Ms Ley on Wednesday declined to recommit to net zero, saying only that the Coalition's review of policies it took to the election was probing the commitment through an energy working group led by opposition spokesman Dan Tehan.

READ MORE: Nationals net-zero pushback intensifies, Littleproud open to dropping policy

"Every single person in our party rooms can feed into that," she told Channel 9's Today.

"Our policy will be underpinned by two goals, playing our part internationally in reducing emissions transparently and producing a reliable stable energy grid, so we've got affordable energy for households and businesses."

Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie, the party's leader in the Senate, told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday it was "important to recognise the difference between recognising climate change is real [and] how we deal with that challenge."

"We have a problem with how the Labor Party is addressing this question," Senator McKenzie said.

"We actually care about the jobs [and] our communities, the businesses and the humans ... impacted by this government's policies."

Nationals senator Matt Canavan said: "We need to tell Australian people that if we want to keep these jobs, we want to keep these industries, we actually have to return to a planet called reality and stop and stop telling ourselves fairy tales that we can keep these jobs while still pursuing these fantastical objectives."

Mr Tehan told Sky on Wednesday: "We can reconcile this, and we can work through it like we always do."

He said Australia needed "energy abundance" and noted state governments were "looking to extend the life of coal-fired power stations."

Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said both parties had gone to the election with a commitment to net zero and that "now the Coalition, held hostage by Barnaby Joyce and Michael McCormack, has walked away from that commitment."

"Even Peter Dutton backed net zero," Mr Bowen said.

Climate Council chief executive Amanda McKenzie described Mr Joyce's push to repeal net zero as " disgraceful, delusional, and totally out of step with the Parliament and the country."

"It's a stunt and it'll be swiftly squashed in Federal Parliament."