Former Caltex executive Helen Conway now a Climate 200 teal candidate

A Climate 200-backed teal candidate running in the upcoming election says she is ‘not ashamed’ of her career as a fossil fuel executive after facing claims of hypocrisy.

A Climate 200-backed teal candidate running in the upcoming election says she is “not ashamed” of her career as a fossil fuel executive after facing claims of hypocrisy over her pro-renewable platform.

North Shore hopeful Helen Conway has also admitted that while she has been trying to buy an electric vehicle, she is still driving a “12-year-old car”.

Ms Conway on Thursday joined fellow teal candidates to demand more action on climate change, calling on the major parties move to halt or slow new coal and gas production and to move faster to renewable energy.

But Ms Conway’s staunch opposition to new fossil fuel production comes despite the lawyer-turned-candidate’s previous professional career at petroleum giant Caltex (now Ampol).

Ms Conway worked at Caltex from 1999 to 2011, according to records from the Australian Securities & Investments Commission.

Caltex has been at the centre of a number of environmental disasters, including in 2013, when 175,000 litres of fuel gushed from a tank at a Caltex terminal in Sydney.

That incident left three people in hospital.

Former Caltex exec Helen Conway now a Climate-200 teal candidate

Before she quit Caltex, Ms Conway was the company secretary and general counsel.

In 2010 alone, she commanded a salary of $474,575 plus other benefits, according to Caltex’s annual report in that year.

Her “remuneration ‘earned’ for 2010,” the report said, was $872,934.

Records show that Ms Conway worked for, or served on the boards of, multiple fossil fuel companies — including Caltex’s subsidiaries — before becoming a climate crusader.

Liberal sources believe Ms Conway could win the North Shore electorate in just over two weeks, unseating incumbent Felicity Wilson (who also used to work for Caltex).

Energy Minister Matt Kean called for Ms Conway to “come clean about what she stands for,” accusing her of not practising what she preaches, adding: “Despite claiming to be a local voice on climate action that the people of North Shore can trust, Helen Conway has made a career from fossil fuels.”

Ms Conway said her work at Caltex was “12 years ago,” but said she was “not ashamed of having worked for Caltex”.

“I’ve embraced this bomb,’’ she said. “I wasn’t actually running the refinery, the terminals, the depots, I was the company secretary and general counsel.”

She said her more recent role, representing the government on the board of Endeavour Energy, had given her an insight into how the energy sector worked and the “urgency” needed to transition to renewable energy.

Despite that, Ms Conway admitted that she is still driving a 12-year-old car, with supply-chain shortages preventing her from buying an electric vehicle.

“I have been trying for six months to buy an electric vehicle,” she said.

Climate 200 founder Simon Holmes à Court stood by Ms Conway on Thursday.

“North Shore is a two-horse race — Helen Conway and Felicity Wilson. Both candidates, in their distant past, worked for Caltex, but only one, Helen, is serious about protecting the Liverpool Plains from inappropriate coal seam gas development and stopping oil and gas drilling off Sydney’s beaches.”

Mr Holmes à Court said Ms Conway’s previous work had given her “a better sense than most” of the need for renewable energy.

Got a news tip? Email [e-mail]