2021-04-20
Greens Leader Adam Bandt said that after speeches of the Prime Minister and Leader of Opposition reported today, it is clear that their renewed commitment to coal means the only pathway to climate action is putting the Greens in balance of power after the next election.
Scott Morrison took aim at the “cafes, dinner parties and wine bars of our inner cities” for demanding more ambitious climate targets, while Anthony Albanese said “Australia will continue to export resources, including coal, based upon global demand. Labor respects existing resource export industries for the jobs they provide to Australians.” Labor’s resources spokesperson, Madeleine King, said yesterday that Australia would export coal past 2050 and “For so long as international markets want to buy Australian coal, which is high quality, then they will be able to.”
Quotes attributable to Greens Leader, Adam Bandt:
“Keeping Australia safe means net zero by 2035 and a tripling of the government’s paltry 2030 target.”
“As Joe Biden demands action and warns against reliance on coal, the Prime Minister tries to start a culture a war and Labor says Australia will continue to export coal past 2050.
“At an elite inner-city dinner party Scott Morrison attacked everyday people who want climate action, while Anthony Albanese backed coal to continue for as long as it wanted.
“If Labor and Liberal want to back coal and dump on inner-city voters, people can vote Greens instead.
“By backing coal while the US warns against it, Liberal and Labor aren’t just blocking climate action, they’re putting our country in the international firing line.
“While we continue to mine and burn coal and gas, everyone’s safety and hundreds of thousands of jobs are at risk.
“Despite international pressure, Liberal and Labor are backing more coal and gas because they take millions in donations from coal and gas billionaires and big corporations.
“At the next election, just a small change in the vote can put the Greens in the balance of power, where we will kick the Morrison government out and force the next government to act on the climate crisis.”
“Liberal and Labor are both trying to tell Australians coal-powered bedtime stories instead of committing to proper science-based 2030 targets.
“They won’t be able to get away with this for much longer. The rest of the world is leaving Australia behind, voters in the inner city and across the country can see it and the spin from the old parties won’t cut it.”