Politics and climate action at the Tandoori Den

Every voter deserves accurate information about each candidate’s climate policies

This November, so much is at stake

• Subsidies to change over to clean, efficient electric appliances
• Large scale renewables build out
• A commitment to move away from expensive, polluting gas, especially in our homes

This why our State Vote Climate campaign really matters!

“The first campaign focus in protecting clean energy gains, and keeping the transition moving”

Lynn Frankes, Lighter Footprints Committee

Our campaign action team recently got together for food, politics and planning.

Lynn Frankes gave us a State campaign update, referencing local climate groups and NGO collaboration, and calling for ideas and volunteers for campaign events and getting out on the streets.

Vote Climate campaigns are about educating and informing our community about key climate issues that are being contested in the election. We do this through public meetings, letterboxing issues flyers, social media content, supporter emails and community conversations.

Campaign goals

The primary goals of our Vote Climate campaigns are to:

• Raise the profile of climate change as an election issue.
• Ensure voters have sufficient information about the candidates’ climate policies to make an informed vote.

 

 

Victorian climate policy 

Members of the Energy Transition Group and the campaign action group have been meeting regularly to work on a policy brief that will inform our campaign, candidate engagement, campaign meetings, social media and particularly the Candidate Scorecard. We have to thank them for their long labours sifting through feasible policy options, party policies, existing State policy and implementation and Opposition policies – many hours, documents and consultation among member groups.

 

David Strang presented a draft policy summary which has been tabled for comment.

 

Street work and campaign events

Getting out there

Julia Croatto introduced the campaign plans for ongoing conversations on regular Saturday mornings at a variety of locations – finding out top issues, gathering support for candidate engagement over climate policy asks and promoting events.

 

Campaign events

Jenny Smithers is leading the events team, with our campaign launch coming up on September. These events are a chance to hear what’s going on, and find out you can best contribute to a dynamic, effective team. With support for household electrification, the VEU and renewables rollout at risk, the climate action group really needs your support to protect the clean energy transition!

 

Fire and loophole logging threaten our forests

Find out more about protecting Victoria’s native forests on August 11 with forest science legend A/Prof Philip Zylstra and Senior Lawyer Natalie Hogan from Environmental Justice Australia. You can RSVP here to this very popular event at the Hawthorn Arts Centre, 7.00 for 7.30pm till 9.00pm.

 

Listening to our Candidates, asking them the tough questions

Plans are well advanced for Candidate Forums in Hawthorn and Kew, with ongoing discussions and more support being added. These events are where we hold Candidates and parties to account on policy, plans and budget. They are large logistical exercises, making sure that many more people have access to Candidate responses with comparative statements on via website, video and social media, reaching a wider and wider audience each election cycle.

 

Candidate Scorecards

After policy work, listening to the community, engaging candidates and looking at published record, the Scorecard is drawn up and supporting documents published, so that voters have clear information about Candidates climate policies and know what directions they would take Victoria if they were our representatives.

Each election, volunteers from the combined groups fundraise for printing, bundle and deliver the scorecard to every household in our electorates. Your efforts are so much appreciated. The scorecards are linked to corresponding website documentation including policy and scoring – these documents are pretty exhaustive and are updated if the policies shift, hopefully in a good direction, before deadlines. Again, huge thanks to our tireless joint Scorecard Committee – so many hours over so many months to collate information to allow voters to be directly informed from published policy and make up their own minds.

Pre-poll and polling day

Over the years many hundreds of volunteers engage with the public each election cycle, by having conversations and handing out the scorecard on the pre-poll booths and nearly every booth on polling day. The scorecard acts to offer condensed accurate information on candidates positions and is particularly helpful in understanding the upper house, especially rating the positions of minor and micro parties, vital for that 5th position result.

We’d love you to step up!

Head over to our volunteer page, where you can indicate your interest in events, social media, street work, letterdropping and pre-poll/polling day.