The Government was geared up for a party room fight over climate this week. There wasn’t a peep

Liberal moderates were ready for a fight in Tuesday’s party room meeting.

The Prime Minister had just used a scene-setting speech for the year at the National Press Club to declare it was now his “preference” to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

Not yet a target, but the clearest signal from Scott Morrison so far that he wants to drag the Coalition into line with every state and territory — as well as more than 110 other countries who have already signed up to the goal.

Moderates expected pushback in the party room from the usual suspects: those who brought down Malcolm Turnbull for going too far on climate and energy policy.

The moderates’ held in their pocket a key piece of ammunition to defend the move to net-zero by 2050.

One of…