Susie O’Brien: Shaming the government the only path to climate action
The Prime Minister has shown he’s unwilling to properly deal with climate change, so it’s up to his colleagues to show him up, writes Susie O’Brien.
Susie O'Brien
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Now that even conservative columnists have woken up to the seriousness of climate change, it’s time for real action in the parliament.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison isn’t willing to go far enough, so his colleagues will have to cross the floor and shame him into it.
The woman who embarrassed the Liberal Party at the last election by toppling former Prime Minister Tony Abbott could be just the person to pull it off.
On Monday, Independent Zali Steggall, along with crossbenchers Rebekha Sharkie, Helen Haines and Andrew Wilkie will release a national climate change framework.
The bill includes a target of net zero emissions by 2050, a climate change risk assessment for all sectors and an independent climate change authority.
The move will capitalise on the Coalition’s party room fractures on climate change, particularly over whether they should fund new coal-fired power stations favoured by the Nationals.
The clincher is the bill’s conscience vote, which gives party members the freedom to break party lines.
Such action is needed because the Morrison Government isn’t meeting targets on climate change.
They tell us they are, but they’re the only ones who think so, probably because they plan to cheat by using carry-over carbon credits.
Since 2015 our emissions have been going up each year, and now the government’s own departmental projections show they won’t meet the Paris Agreement targets of reducing emissions by 26 to 28 per cent on 2005 levels.
They have also agreed to achieving net zero emissions globally in the second half of this century.
Morrison continues to talk tough, vowing not to be “bullied on climate change” even though he is under pressure from the more moderate members of his party.
These include Tim Wilson, Katie Allen and John Alexander. Allen’s shown her colours by suggesting a dedicated climate change minister.
The Nationals won’t be much help, with newly affirmed leader Michael McCormack suggesting “responsible” action was important.
That’s a weasel word for “no” action.
Compare this approach to Morrison’s UK counterpart Boris Johnson, who has just kicked off a “year of climate action”.
The UK has set some of the most ambitious targets in world, vowing to end gas and diesel sales by 2035. Johnson is also striving for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
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The devastating bushfires of this summer, made more intense through climate change, should be a warning that more needs to be done, and now.
Let’s hope MPs vote with their conscience and shame the government into taking real action on climate change.