Curtin prospect Louise Stewart pushes climate-change barrow

Independent Louise Stewart will target her Liberal rival’s claim that humanity’s impact on global warming is “very minimal”.

Celia Hammond and Louise Stewart

The wealthy businesswoman running as an independent in the Western Australian seat of Curtin, Louise Stewart, will make climate change a key part of her campaign after her Liberal rival claimed ­humanity’s contribution to global warming was “very minimal”.

Ms Stewart, a “socially progressive” lifelong Liberal voter, also revealed she had spoken about climate-change policy to scientist Tim Flannery and former Olympic skier-turned-independent Warringah candidate Zali Steggall.

She said Liberal candidate Celia Hammond’s doubts about man-made climate change, revealed in The Australian yesterday, proved the former university chief was “out of step with mainstream views” in Curtin, in Perth’s wealthy western suburbs.

“The science is settled, the debate is definitely over — climate change is caused by human activity,” Ms Stewart said. “We need to have deeper emissions cuts quicker. The debate to have now is how we are going to achieve ­(emission reduction) targets.”

Ms Stewart appears to have hardened her stance on climate change in the wake of Ms Hammond’s comments.

She said she wanted to see greater investment in renewable energy and the introduction of a “commissioner of climate impact” to examine the effects of climate change in Australia.

She would continue to discuss the issue with Professor Flannery, who was recently appointed to a climate research role at the Australian Museum.

Professor Flannery has been accused by some of alarmism on climate science over his 2004 warning that Perth would become the first “ghost metropolis” of the 21st century because of its scarce water supply.

Ms Stewart said she had also spoken to Ms Steggall, who is campaigning to oust Tony Abbott from his northern Sydney seat of Warringah. Ms Steggall said Mr Abbott was out of step with voters because he supported coalmining.

Ms Hammond said on Monday she believed humanity’s contribution to global warming had likely been “very minimal”. She rejected scientific opinion that the burning of fossil fuels was the key factor driving global warming.

Her comments have also emboldened the Greens, who secured 14.2 per cent of the vote in Curtin at the last election, just behind Labor on 15.7 per cent.

WA Greens senator Jordon Steele-John described Ms Hammond’s views as “absolutely outrageous and frankly downright dangerous”.

“Not only is she denying the ­accepted science of climate change, but proving that she will be a servant of the fossil-fuel lobby if elected as the member for Curtin,” he said.

“The people of Curtin want a socially progressive representative who supports urgent action to tackle climate change.”

The Greens’ candidate in Curtin, Cameron Pidgeon, was unavailable for comment.