2020-11-04
Responding to calls from the Deputy Prime Minister that he should resign for calling for a phase-out of coal, Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, has said that Michael McCormack is a threat to the Australian way of life, that his love of coal is a direct threat to Australia and that he should stand-down for putting Australians’ lives at risk.
“Michael McCormack is a direct threat to Australia’s farmers, our workers and our way of life,” said Mr Bandt.
“Michael McCormack is putting Australians’ safety at risk and he should stand down.
“Michael McCormack and Scott Morrison are failing in their first duty to keep Australians safe.
“This McCormack/Morrison coal-hugging threatens millions of Australian lives and jobs.
“Coal is a threat to Australia.
“The next time a bushfire or cyclone hits, Australians should remember that the Deputy Prime Minister actively pushed for more coal to make the climate emergency worse. He will bear some responsibility.
“The Bureau of Meteorology has just said Australia is on track to warm by 4.4 degrees by the end of the century, yet the Deputy Prime Minister wants to make it even worse.
“The only way to protect Australia is to take strong action on climate and phase out coal.
“Scott Morrison and Michael McCormack are climate change Chamberlains when we desperately need Churchills.
“The coal-fuelled climate crisis is driving farmers off the land, putting people out of work and devastating Australia, but Michael McCormack has chosen coal over crops. Farmers should be coming after him with pitchforks.
“Our 3 biggest coal customers have just said they’re getting out of coal in a couple of decades. That’s 75% of Australia’s thermal coal market about to collapse, but the McCormack/Morrison government has no plan to support coal communities and workers through the transition.
“I was thrilled to make a leader’s address at an international conference on climate action, because there was no chance in hell this government would have anything to say.
“The Coalition of climate deniers in Canberra doesn’t seem to be getting the message that the rest of the world is moving, so I am urging our trading partners to send Australia a clear signal that they are moving to a zero-pollution society and our thermal coal has a use-by date.
“We should export our sunshine, not our coal. By getting on board green hydrogen, green steel and direct undersea cable connection,. Australia could become the world’s biggest renewables exporter.
“Runaway global heating will endanger the livelihood of every farmer in Australia. Under our current trajectory to 4-degrees of warming, irrigated agriculture in the Murray Darling Basin will decline by 92%. 90,000 jobs gone because the Coalition has chosen coal over crops.”