Grayndler to swing on climate change

by Roger Hanney

As results from the first of a series of national doorknocks come in, two things are apparent: Newtown residents want climate action, and Anthony Albanese, just like Lindsay Tanner in the seat of Melbourne, is a minister under legitimate threat from the Greens.

The survey, which was conducted by Climate Action Newtown, showed that three quarters of voters and 95 per cent of swing voters were more likely to vote for a candidate who committed to a price on carbon and significant investment in renewable energy.

CAN spokeswoman, Moira Williams, said the survey showed that climate change needs to be in the spotlight leading up to the election.

“I think it’s currently off the agenda and it needs to be back on. That’s our job,” she said.

CAN is one of the first of many groups to begin a door-knocking and public survey campaign that will continue across the country through most of this year.

Ms Williams said that although their outlook may be seen as favouring the Greens, they are actually apolitical. CAN’s focus is not on supporting or attacking any particular party, rather it is to encourage all parties to formulate effective climate policies that voters can support.

A team of 15 fanned out across Newtown recently, attracting about a hundred respondents from five hundred households. According to the survey, the general Newtown voter, and swing voters in particular, are critical of weak federal climate action, in favour of some type of carbon pollution levy, and keen to see renewable industries and employment better supported in Australia.

The survey asked people about their attitude to a carbon price, rather than a more complicated model similar to that abandoned by the Rudd government. Environmental groups and NGOs roundly decided not to support the Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) because its targets lacked ambition, its structure was convoluted, it heavily rewarded polluters, and would have done little to reduce carbon emissions, said Ms Williams.

“ But having Labor walk away from the ETS and replace it with nothing,” she continued, “we are looking to have a price of some sort on carbon as soon as possible to create support for renewable investment through the marketplace.”

While green fingers continue to point at the federal government and its backdown on climate, soul-searching continues within the environment movements over the failure of their message to connect with the public. While the Global Financial Crisis couldn’t have come at a worse time for tax-based climate proposals, Ms. Williams feels that the focus on worst-case scenarios and predictions of apocalyptic impacts may have been counterproductive.

She expects that the new push across climate groups will be tied to positive expressions of the potential benefits of change.

“Selling those opportunities to the public and politicians is really important,” she said.

“We don’t have to step back into the dark ages to make a change, and it also means healthier communities, clean air, long term sustainable energy sources and protection of our forests.”

Based on feedback from the survey, some people believe that putting a price on carbon is just a scheme to make money. Some note the self-evident problem in creating a new market to solve a problems created by an old market. But apparently even climate sceptics can agree that totally renewable energy has advantages over brown coal.

Key figures from Newtown Climate Action Survey

• 95% of swing voters said they were more or much more likely to vote for a candidate if they were to commit to a price on carbon and significant investment in renewable energy
• 93% of people believe the government should significantly boost investment in renewable energy and create clean energy jobs
• 92% of people believe that Australia should develop a plan to move to 100% renewable energy
• 85% of residents said that the Rudd Government is not doing enough to tackle climate change
• 75% of residents were more likely or much more likely to vote for a candidate committing to a price on carbon and significant investment in renewable energy