Burning issues

“Our financial institutions aren’t prepared to lend or invest in coal projects, why should Australian people’s money be invested? We need an orderly retirement of coal, not entering into new projects like Adani. The attention should be with renewables, technology, clean transport, clean energy. The lack of leadership and action on climate change is the number one issue in the electorate.”

Independent candidate, Olympic skier and barrister ZALI STEGGALL who is challenging Tony Abbott in the Sydney seat of Warringah. The electorate likes being listened to: all polls suggest Zali is very much the front-runner.

“Even the most extreme climate deniers are probably at the point of acknowledging that we are having more and more extreme weather events. New weather records are being set and the economic cost is growing … I think it is legitimate to talk about climate change.”

Opposition Leader BILL SHORTEN during a trip to Tasmania. A Labor government has pledged to reduce carbon emissions by 45 per cent by 2030, based on 2005 levels of scenarios.

“Australia’s electricity generation sector is the largest source of carbon pollution in the economy, producing around one third of the nation’s pollution. You can’t make climate change promises unless you acknowledge this. Climate change will drive the most significant economic transformation in modern history. The transition of Australia’s economy to a clean energy future is not negotiable.”

The ALP’s Climate Change Action Plan Policy Paper.

“It’s extremely inconvenient for any government that does not have a cogent answer for what they’ll do about climate change, to see the effects of climate change putting more and more people and homes at risk. I feel quite passionately that the word needs to get out about how much the bushfire threat has worsened. I’ve watched it change, and I’ve watched our politicians sit on their hands.”

GREG MULLINS, former NSW Fire and Rescue Commissioner.

“The climate disaster future has arrived while those in power laugh at us. Scott Morrison seems blithely unaware people are already scared about climate change. Climate change isn’t just happening. It’s happening far quicker than has been predicted. Each careful scientific prediction is rapidly overtaken by the horror of profound natural changes that seem to be accelerating, with old predictions routinely outdone by the worsening reality – hotter, colder, wetter, drier, windier, wilder, and ever more destructive.”

Extract from RICHARD FLANAGAN’S profoundly sad and widely read Guardian article referencing Tasmania’s global treasure the ancient Gondwanaland remnant forest and its woodland alpine heathlands [that] are at profound and immediate risk because of climate change. The forest was burning.

“We know the threat of devastating bushfires is getting worse every year we keep burning coal and heating our planet. Enough is enough, we are sick of the lack of progress on this issue – any politician without a serious plan to tackle climate damage is not fit to hold office.”

February 2009 Black Saturday survivor.

“Josh Frydenberg has had more opportunities than anyone to make a difference to the environment and he’s failed.”

OLIVER YATES who is standing as an independent candidate and renewables advocate against Treasurer and former environment minister Josh Frydenberg in the ‘safe’ Liberal seat of Kooyong at the upcoming federal election.

“This is coal … don’t be afraid, don’t be scared [it] won’t hurt you.”

SCOTT MORRISON, then Treasurer, 2017.