Wentworth candidates Dave Sharma, Allegra Spender debate climate action ahead of federal 2022 election
As Dave Sharma and Allegra Spender thrash it out over climate action, Wentworth’s other candidates have other ideas on what Australia needs.
Federal Election
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Wentworth’s lead election contenders both agree climate action is crucial but do you know the differences in their policies?
Allegra Spender is campaigning how she intends to govern should she be successful at the polls.
“The people of Wentworth want real action on climate now,” Spender said.
The teal independent said her campaign would be 100 per cent carbon offset and all her corflutes recycled.
Her legacy as Chair of the Sydney Renewable Power Company involved putting a 520kW solar array on the roof of the International Convention Centre and she recently called on her industry contacts to donate a solar system for Holdsworth Centre in Woollahra.
”I will work collaboratively within our parliament to introduce legislation that sets a clear framework for effective climate change action and emissions standards to turbocharge electric vehicle uptake,” Spender said.
“A minimum 50 per cent emission reduction target by 2030 is essential. If other countries were to follow the same path that Australia is on now, the world would face at least three degrees of warming.
”This would be a catastrophic outcome for Australia. Three degrees of warming means a doubling of the number of heatwaves, with three times as many extreme fire days and coastal flooding every year. There’d be no living Great Barrier Reef.
“I’ll support a sector-by-sector approach to help businesses seize the economic opportunities of moving to clean energy, while supporting communities transitioning away from fossil fuel industries and our farmers who face challenges as they reduce their agricultural emissions.”
Spender said she would fight for more EV charging stations in Wentworth and better access to solar power for apartment dwellers.
Sitting Liberal member Dave Sharma is also taking action on a personal level.
The family of five shares one car that they only use when walking or cycling is not an option.
“We recycle our food and organic waste in a worm farm, as organic waste going to landfill is one of the most potent sources of methane, a damaging greenhouse gas emission,” Sharma said.
“We are getting solar panels installed on our roof to lessen our reliance on the electricity grid.”
Sharma said he was focused on helping the business community of Wentworth take advantage of the “massive economic opportunities from this global transition” to net zero emissions.
“Recognising this is a global challenge which only has a global solution, Australia must also play its part in ensuring the rest of the world, and especially the major emitters, make and honour commitments to get the world to net-zero,” Sharma said.
“I have been one of the most vocal and consistent advocates within the government for more ambitious action to reduce our emissions.
“I helped deliver a government commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050 and to secure the necessary investments in the Budget in low-emissions technologies, such as hydrogen and large-scale battery storage, to get us there.
I will remain a passionate and effective voice within the government on this issue. That’s what only a member of the government can deliver. Independents cannot do this.”
When asked if he would be willing to cross the floor for climate action, Sharma vowed to fight for the values of the electorate.
“I’ve shown that I will always stand up for the people of Wentworth and our views on issues important to us, including on discrimination against trans and gay children, where I crossed the floor on legislation,” Sharma said.
“I’m pleased I won the argument within the coalition party room to ensure we committed to net-zero emissions and more ambitious action on climate change. This is an issue where I will continue to stand up for Wentworth, including against other members of parliament.
“Locally I helped terminate the offshore oil and gas license, PEP-11.
“I am committed to doubling the number of public electric vehicle charging stations here in Wentworth, so the two-thirds of residents who do not have access to off-street parking are able to buy and use electric vehicles.”
Despite residents’ passion for climate action, Wentworth homes are sadly bereft of solar panels and Labor’s Tim Murray is focused on fixing that issue.
“Wentworth’s solar uptake is one of the country’s lowest, at 13 per cent, largely because we have one of the highest rates of people living in apartments, at 60 per cent,” Murray said.
“The federal government’s inaction on climate change has left the burden of activity on local government, where I was recently elected to Waverley Council.”
Murray was elected to council on a platform of cutting red tape involved with accessing solar power for personal use in strata dwellings, rather than just common areas, and has already pulled together an expert team which includes lawyers and renewable energy stakeholders.
Once established, there are plans to roll out the model nationwide.
He has also championed the use of community batteries as a means for more residents to access solar and Labor has pledged if an Albanese government is elected, Waverley will be among the first local government areas to receive one.
Labor’s other policies include: investing $20 billion to upgrade the electricity grid to fix energy transmission and drive down power prices; an electric car discount; investing up to $3 billion in green metals, clean energy component manufacturing, hydrogen electrolysers and fuel switching, agricultural methane reduction and waste reduction; rolling out 85 solar banks around Australia and funding 10,000 New Energy Apprentices and a New Energy Skills Program.
Murray also has personal experience in living a carbon neutral lifestyle.
“I renovated my terrace house in Bondi Junction to be off-grid, with solar panels on the roof, water recycling, HVAC (heating, ventilation, airconditioning) to circulate air to reduce heating and cooling, and smaller windows facing north and a wall garden to grow vegetables. The building became a net energy producer,” Murray said.
The Greens’ Dominic WY Kanak said Wentworth residents are “deeply concerned about the expansion of coal and gas and the billions of dollars of support for fossil fuel industries”.
“The Coalition government has spent nine years in denial of the problem. Their recently adopted ‘net-zero by 2050’ target is neither credible nor sufficient to ensure the Paris goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees is reached,” WY Kanak said.
“Meanwhile some parts of the government say that they have no intention of keeping to their plan. We need a new government which is prepared to take the necessary action now.”
WY Kanak said having Greens in the balance of power in both the House of Representatives and the Senate is the best way to ensure meaningful action by the incoming government.
The fellow Waverley councillor is also on board with the solar for strata initiative and community batteries.
When it comes to personal action, WY Kanak walks the talk.
“I live frugally and do not own or drive a car, but travel by public transport. As a renter I am not yet able to get solar panels for my apartment. I support the local farmers markets to reduce the carbon footprint of the food I eat.”
Both United Australia Party’s Natalie Dumer and Liberal Democrat Daniel Lewkovitz are asking constituents to reconsider nuclear energy as clean and green option.
Dumer called into question the ethics of outsourcing solar panel and wind turbine production to China knowing the country is the world’s biggest emitter of CO2.
“The batteries which we place in all electric cars and solar panels have a rare earth metal called Cobalt which is predominantly mined in the Congo using child slave labour with children as young as six years old,” Dumer said.
“I am a parent and I find this concept of child labour, like any parent would, abhorrent.
“If we are looking at a better climate for Wentworth, why aren’t we looking at the humanitarian cost of solar and electric cars and looking at safe zero emission alternatives not using slave labour and saving the entire world not just Wentworth?”
Dumer said UAP believed nuclear was the sensible option.
“We are looking into safe, generation 4 nuclear energy which would be beneficial to all of Australia not just Wentworth,” she said.
Lewkovitz questioned whether climate action was indeed the number one concern of the electorate.
“If you believed certain campaigns you’d be convinced Wentworth residents can’t wait to rush home and sit around the dinner table discussing climate change and a federal ICAC. I don’t buy that for one second,” Lewkovitz said.
“Residents of Wentworth are doing it tough. Have lost incomes and watched as their freedoms were eroded. They deserve support. Not to see their cost of living rise to make renewables investors wealthy.
“I’m a huge advocate of nuclear energy, a clean, safe and 24/7 reliable form of low emission electricity generation that produces less waste than renewables. Anybody who claims to want to reduce emissions yet refuses to talk about nuclear is either uninformed or is more interested in making money for renewables investors.”
One Nation’s Dean Fisher, who appears first on the Wentworth ballot paper, was also given an opportunity to comment but has not responded to this or any other media inquiry of the Wentworth Courier.
Originally published as Wentworth candidates Dave Sharma, Allegra Spender debate climate action ahead of federal 2022 election
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