Koyoong Candidates Forum – 500+ turn up for democracy!

Kooyong Candidates Forum Blog

Under three banners ‘Engage’, ‘Influence’ and ‘Advocate’, the Convenor of Lighter Footprints, Jenny Smithers, welcomed the large audience in the Hawthorn Town Hall to the Kooyong Candidates Forum.

This event has become a much-anticipated pre-election gathering since the first in 2007 and was booked out in advance by concerned Kooyong citizens; many coming for the first time.

You can watch the full presentation on YouTube here. The bold blue links in this blog will take you straight through to the relevant chapter points in the video recording.

A big thanks to all our volunteers and supporters!

Attendees of all ages were greeted in the foyer by volunteers from the community groups that work with Lighter Footprints to raise awareness and take urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions: Doctors for the Environment, Parents for Climate, ACF Boroondara, Kooyong Climate Change Alliance, Asian Australians for Climate Solutions, SolarCitizens, Renew Australia for All, The Wilderness Society, Friends of the Earth and Electrify Boroondara.

The climate science basis

From the main stage, Jenny Smithers welcomed everyone to the event. Jenny, a retired GP, opened her section on climate science with a quote from the medical journal The Lancet: Climate change is the greatest global health threat facing the world in the 21st century. But it is also the greatest opportunity to redefine the social and environmental determinants of health. You can watch Jenny’s climate science presentation on YouTube here.

Jenny then went on to graphically outline our serious climate situation.

“We cannot keep putting more CO2 into our atmosphere nor other greenhouse gases, especially highly warming methane, ‘natural’ gas.

We’re not on the podium, but we’re up there. In 2022, Australia was the fourth largest fossil fuel exporter. Australia’s global fossil fuel carbon footprint is at least three times larger than our domestic footprint.

Are we on track to keep our climate safe at present? The answer is no. A rise of three degrees Celsius by the end of the century is not safe.”

Jenny Smithers

 

Protecting the climate for the next generation

Following Jenny was Ivy Sheng, a 16 year old student and member of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition talking about what the climate crisis means for her generation.

“But climate change is already shaping their future, and it’s shaping mine too. The cost of living crisis, extreme weather events, and environmental degradation are all interconnected. I want the future generations to have the same opportunities that my parents gave me, but that future is at risk.”

Ivy Sheng

  

“I often hear that my generation is the last to live in the world as we know it. But I think we should reframe that. We’re also the first generation to really wake up to this crisis. And luckily for us, we do have the technology and willpower and imagination to actually do something about it.”

Ivy Sheng

 

Ivy represented so well the very serious cost of inaction on climate change. You can watch her statement on YouTube here.

Candidate Statements

Respected environmental campaigner Victoria McKenzie-McHarg introduced three of the four invited lower house candidates: Jackie Carter (Greens), Clive Crosby (ALP) and Dr Monique Ryan MP (Ind).

Regrettably, Amelia Hamer, the Liberal Party candidate, reneged on her RSVP to attend the Forum, emailing at 1:08pm on the day of the forum saying she had another “community event”, which turned out to be a phone bank with Angus Taylor, as evidenced by many audience phones receiving robo calls precisely at 7.30pm.

Jackie Carter

Jackie Carter, Greens Candidate

“Labor has approved over 32 new coal and gas projects. In the final hours of the last parliamentary term they prioritized weakening our environmental laws favoring multinational salmon corporations over our planet. 

Meanwhile, an alternative is Peter Dutton and the Liberals, who are doubling down on nuclear, which is expensive and dangerous, and just today have come out with their plan to classify gas as a critical mineral to ensure, and I quote, gas remains part of the Australian economy for decades. We irrefutably cannot afford a Liberal government in the next term of Parliament.”

Jackie Carter

“The simple truth is this coal and gas are the leading causes of the climate crisis. These corporations are making billions exporting fossil fuels while paying little to no tax, and instead of holding them accountable, both major parties continue to take millions in donations from the very industries destroying our future. We can’t keep voting for the same two parties and expect a different result. But there is a way forward. The Greens are the only party fighting to stop more coal and gas, while championing a bold plan for publicly owned renewable energy.”

Jackie Carter

You can watch Jackie Carter’s statement on YouTube here

 

Clive Crosby

Clive Crosby, Labor Candidate

“The Albanese government has lifted Australia’s climate ambition and laid the foundations for us to be a renewable energy superpower. But there’s still more to do. It’s absolutely necessary to ensure Australia doesn’t get left behind as the world transitions to clean decarbonized economies, and heads towards net zero emissions by 2050.”

Clive Crosby

”

“We revised Australia’s 2030 emissions reduction target from the previous Liberal government’s measly 26% reduction on 2005 levels to a far more ambitious, yet still achievable 43%. We’ve given the safeguard mechanism legislated under the previous government teeth, which requires net emissions from our 215 largest carbon emitters to be reduced by 5% each and every year. We’ve put in place a $22.7 billion plan for a Future Made in Australia, which will enable Australia to capitalize on the job opportunities of becoming a renewable energy superpower, leveraging our world class skills and natural resources, and ensuring sovereign manufacturing and clean energy industries for things like solar panels rather than shipping out the critical minerals and importing the made solar panels back in.”

Clive Crosby

You can watch Clive Crosby’s statement on YouTube here

Dr Monique Ryan

Dr Monique Ryan Independent

“What I offered you then, was my commitment to transparently represent our community as its independent federal member in a way that reflects your values and your beliefs in a way that was based on evidence, on science, and on expert opinion.

I am so grateful to stand before you three years later with a parliamentary record, which I think reflects that commitment to those priorities. And tonight, I ask you for an opportunity to continue the work that we started together three years ago.”

Dr Monique Ryan

 

“The Albanese government says gas is part of our energy mix beyond 2050. It has no plan to rule out future fossil fuel developments. 

Meanwhile, we have a Coalition opposition which has voted against every single law to cut climate pollution in the last three years. They released a nuclear proposal that would at best supply 15% of our energy needs at a cost of $600 billion. It would abandon a climate pollution reduction target. It would provide additional funding for the gas industry. It is already committed to fast track new gas projects and it will expand existing projects. It will undermine renewables by cutting funding for essential grid updates, and it will increase pollution.

Neither of the political parties is prepared to release climate targets prior to the next federal election.”

Dr Monique Ryan

 

You can watch Dr Monique Ryan’s statement on YouTube here

Amelia Hamer

Because Amelia Hamer did not attend the Forum, Alex Currell of the Kooyong Climate Change Alliance Scorecard Committee gave a summative assessment of the Liberal Party climate change policies. The summary was based on the 7 criteria used to score all the main parties’ policies: leadership, emissions reduction targets, amounts of renewable energy in the grid, supporting household electrification, stopping new oil and gas extraction and ending to native forest logging. As shown on the scorecard below, for each category, the Liberal Party policies were given the lowest possible rating.

You can watch the Amelia Hamer scoring assessment on YouTube here, including overlays detailing the scoring process, the assessment, and key Liberal media releases.

“It’s fair to say that the Liberals’ policies barely engage with the climate crisis, despite frequent references to zero emissions technology in their deeply flawed nuclear energy policy.”

Alex Currell, KCCA Scorecard Committee

Audience Questions

Questions from the moderator and the audience covered the climate emergency, political donations, fossil fuel subsidies, financial support for domestic battery installations, native forest logging and whether Australia should review its involvement in AUKUS.

A sensitive topic that had the audience muttering was the anti-environment legislation introduced by the ALP Government to protect Tasmania’s salmon industry from legal challenges.

Monique Ryan’s final plea was for government to be more focused on intergenerational equity to improve education and housing affordability as well as ensuring a safer climate in the future.

Question One

Tackling the Climate Emergency

The candidates were then asked to state their view of the proposition that “world-wide emissions are rising and the consequences of climate change are being felt everywhere.  Senior climate scientists have warned that we are heading towards a climate that will be inhospitable to human civilisation” and answer the question: “Is now the time for an emergency response to climate change of the type seen during world wars or global pandemics”?

Jackie Carter agreed that it was time to upscale the response to climate change to a war footing and was applauded for her responses.

Clive Crosby noted that government would have to work in with States and Territories, and that it would be hard to accelerate the pace of the clean energy roll out.

Dr Monique Ryan agreed and reflected on the warnings given by speakers, Admiral Chris Barrie and David Spratt, at her most recent Town Hall meeting on the implications for national security of climate change. She suggested that an emergency response by government should consider a wider response including social and health groups, first responder, military and other stakeholders.

 

“The Liberals vocally support ramping up of fossil fuel mining, particularly gas. They’ve committed to turbocharging mining by accelerating approvals and cutting green tape. This flies in the face of the International Energy Agency’s pathway to net zero, which recommends no investment in new fossil fuel supply.”

Alex Currell, KCCA Scorecard Committee

Question Two

Do you support Australia’s current level of fossil fuel subsidies which in 2023-2034, according to The Australia Institute, were measured at $14.5bn annually, and why or why not?

• Dr Monique Ryan stated that the $10bn diesel rebate is a big waste, and really should only go to smaller entities and farmers. We shouldn’t give money to entities to pollute our environment.
• Clive Crosby differed saying that the diesel fuel tax credit is appropriate as it goes to companies not using public roads
• Jackie Carter said it’s a fossil subsidy, it needs to be stopped immediately.

“We looked at abolition of federal fossil fuel subsidies, which currently stand at an estimated $12.5 billion per annum. Rather than reining in these subsidies, the Liberals propose an expansion. The government’s capacity investment scheme has been a key mechanism to drive the transition to renewables in the electricity grid. The Liberals would modify it to include gas. In his budget reply, Peter Dutton announced an additional $1.3 billion of funding for gas related projects.”

Alex Currell, KCCA Scorecard Committee

 

Question Three

How can we expect to get effective and evidence-based climate policy when special interest donations dominate our politics?

• Clive Crosby – there has been recent donation reform legislation. We act on independent advice, not on lobbyist lunches.
• Jackie Carter  – Our democracy is for sale. We need greater public funding for elections.
• Dr Monique Ryan – we need fair elections not this stitch up to lock out independents and disadvantage minor parties.

 

 

Question Four

What are your plans to increase home battery systems? And also, how can you support households in the electorate to be active on climate change and taking action themselves in their own daily lives?

“We know that we need battery storage to move to a renewable future. And, in addition to that, there’s low interest loans that people can also engage in as well.

So we’re very aware that cost is that barrier. And we’re very eager to make sure that we can do everything we can to make that transition easy for people.”

Jackie Carter

• Jackie Carter –  cost is the biggest barrier to take up of solar and storage. The Greens propose $5,000 individual grants, $10,000 business grants for batteries and low interest loans.
• Dr Monique Ryan – action on climate is action on cost of living. Government needs to support renters and low income households. Dr Ryan said she supports Renew Australia for All which includes $50bn support for homes to electirfy and would be massively better than $600bn on nuclear!
• Clive Crosby  – Labor is working on rolling out 400 community batteries and state governments are doing a lot of this work.

“We could spend $50 billion [Renew Australia for All’s suggested electrification and energy efficiency policies] and improve each of the 7.5 to 8 million homes in Australia which haven’t yet been subjected to energy efficiency improvements and to the sorts of electrification measures which will massively bring down energy costs for those homes. That’s $50 billion, a whole lot less than $600 billion for nuclear, providing 15% of our grid by 2050.’

Dr Monique Ryan

 

“So one of the policies that Labor did take to the last election and has been, chipping away at and progressing, is our policy for 400 community batteries, and that’s something that we need to work with the states with, with local councils, local community groups, as well as the companies that are in the like, the distribution networks, City Power, PowerCor. So I think a number of those have been installed and we will continue working towards that in a second term.”

Clive Crosby

 

Question Five 

Why are we still logging native forests? What can we do about it?

• Jackie Carter  – the Greens support the end native forest logging nationally now.
• Clive Crosby – Labor would like to see the end of native forest logging across the country.
• Dr Monique Ryan – giving control of logging going to States has been a disaster. There is still a lot of “salvage” logging going on. The EPBC Act has been weakened to appease WA. The government should take protection back federally and have functional EPA.

 

“[The Liberals] oppose the attempt in Parliament to have logging in areas covered by state and federal forestry agreements subjected to federal environmental approval processes.”

Alex Currell, KCCA Scorecard Committee

 

Question Six 

What about nuclear and does it have any relationship to AUKUS?

• Dr Monique Ryan said that we need urgent action on cleaning up our power system. Nuclear is not cost effective and would take far too long.  She sat on four months of Parliamentary hearings on nuclear and her conclusion is it would could cost up to $600bn and stop the transition to renewables.
• Clive Crosby said that Labor opposes nuclear. It is not fast enough, requires too much water and will not generate enough power for Australia’s needs. He said that AUKUS has no relation to the question of nuclear power.
• Jackie Carter said that nuclear is primarily a distraction and that we should exit AUKUS as soon as practicable.

“There’s a degree of cynicism there from the Coalition. They have no real sense that it [nuclear] will ever happen.

And it is appallingly bad that they have visited this upon people in the last couple of years.”

Dr Monique Ryan

 

Individual Questions

Victoria now moved onto a series of individual questions for each candidate.

Question Seven – Jackie Carter

Question to Jackie Carter If we failed to see progress of policies, why should people vote for the Greens?

Jackie Carter replied that Labor needs a team of people pushing them to act faster.

 

Question Seven – Clive Crosby

Question to Clive Crosby -The Maugean skate had survived the extinction event that ended the dinosaurs but may not survive the Albanese govt. Given lack of action on climate and nature laws, why vote Labor?

Clive Crosby said Labor was elected to strengthen nature laws and has passed two tranches of amendments to the EPBC Act. The recent modification made to protect the salmon industry was needed to protect jobs. We have been working with State government on a breeding program to protect the skate.

 

Question Seven – Dr Monique Ryan

Question for Dr Monique Ryan Who would you support in a hung parliament, why vote Independent?

Dr Monique Ryan said she would consider who was willing to support policies that work for Kooyong, not for lobby groups or Gina Rinehart. Her job is to represent the interests of Kooyong residents.

 

Looking after the next generation

Finally Victoria asked a very poignant question – if you a first time voter, given the escalating climate crisis, who would you give your vote to?

• Clive Crosby – Labor does care for young people, not nuclear nonsense
• Jackie Carter  – We are a party of climate action. Vote for the Greens to push Labor for stronger climate action
• Dr Monique Ryan said that she is very concerned about intergenerational equity, HECs debt and the housing crisis and will advocate for tax reform as well as climate action.

“Well, Labor, is the only party of government in Australia that has shown and demonstrated consistently, not only in this term, but in when we were last in government, that we are serious and committed to acting on climate change, whereas the Liberals will simply deny it, and bury their head in the sand.”

Clive Crosby

“Every two years, the government puts out a report into intergenerational inequity. And every two years it gets worse. So young people in Australia are facing a climate crisis, but they’re also facing a cost of living crisis, and a housing crisis. We have an aging population and a narrowing tax base, and they are going to bear the brunt of that. People like me care about that.”

Dr Monique Ryan

 

“So since our inception in 1992, the Greens are the party of the environment and of climate action. That alone should be why you should vote for the Greens. But I guess to follow up on something that Clive said, we will be there to push Labor further and faster on climate action because they’re not doing it themselves.

And we need to get the Liberals out and force Labor to act. And that’s why we should be voting for the Greens.”

Jackie Carter