Climate change counts in Wentworth

The battle for Wentworth will be fought and won on climate change credentials according to the three main party candidates.

Labor’s Steven Lewis, Matthew Robertson of the Greens and Liberal MP Malcolm Turnbull agree that green credentials will be important in Wentworth.

All acknowledged the importance of action on climate change to the electorate and argued that their party was the best option for real change.

Mr Robertson put the issue at the top of his priorities.
“Without effective action on climate change we will enter a period of dangerous effects as a result,” he said.

Mr Turnbull agreed that climate change was a concern for his constituents.

“The environment is clearly a very big issue here,” he said. “At the national level in terms of climate change and sustainability, and also at a local level in terms of preserving the integrity of Centennial Park.

“We have to take effective action to cut our emissions. The most effective way to do this is to put a price on carbon.”

But while Mr Lewis and Mr Robertson agree that a price on carbon is the most effective way of implementing real change, both attacked Mr Turnbull’s green credentials and those of his party.

“I think it’s great that Malcolm is calling for a carbon tax but Tony Abbott has said categorically he will not impose one,” Mr Lewis said.

“No matter what people think of Malcolm Turnbull, a vote for Malcolm is a vote for an Abbott government. And that is weighing heavily on the people of Wentworth.”

And Mr Robertson said Mr Turnbull’s all-green political flyers had to be “seen to be believed”.

“Under his leadership the Rudd ETS was weakened further; $22 billion would have gone to big polluters under the Turnbull/ Rudd ETS, so it’s a bit rich for him to be campaigning as Malcolm Turnbull, member for the environment. His party is totally overrun with climate sceptics and he can do very little as a Liberal party candidate.”

There is also friction between the Greens and Labor over climate change with both sides critical of the other’s past action on the issue.

Mr Lewis attacked the Greens over the collapse of the Rudd government’s ETS, saying that the “purity” of the Greens had cost Australia the chance of real climate change action.

“The purity of the Greens is fine but reality in government is you have to get things done, and the reality of politics is that you have to compromise,” he said.

But Mr Robertson said that what the Rudd government had offered would have taken Australia backwards and caused problems in the future.

He also expressed disappointment over Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s latest “citizens’ assembly” approach to climate change saying the move was potentially “terribly damaging”.

– By Liam Kinkead