The Victorian Greens say the political debate on climate change is being dragged to the floor, with the Liberals and One Nation competing over who can dismantle more climate action and pour more taxpayer money into fossil fuels, and Labor increasingly following them backwards by opening more gas drilling.
All three parties’ policies will be a disaster for our climate and lead to Victoria experiencing increased bush fires, floods and extreme weather like the coming super El Niño.
It comes as One Nation joins the Liberals, both pledging to waste billions of dollars worth of renewable energy infrastructure and spend taxpayer money on more coal stations or keep polluting coal open for longer, a disaster for the climate.
The Greens say that opening more coal and gas is unconscionable, and that the tragic scenes from Nepal should be a wake up call to all politicians about the looming climate disaster.
They have also criticised Labor’s handling of the energy transition, saying regional communities have too often been shut out of decisions and denied a fair share of the benefits, and that Labor’s opening new gas drilling near the 12 Apostles is an environmental and climate crime.
The Greens want Victoria to end coal and gas, massively expand publicly-owned renewable energy and ensure regional communities directly benefit from the transition to clean energy.
As stated by the Leader of the Victorian Greens, Ellen Sandell:
“Of course One Nation wants to open more coal and gas – they’re funded by the fossil fuel lobby!
What’s alarming is that we now have three parties in Victoria – One Nation, Liberal and Labor – who all want to drill for more gas or open new coal, right in the middle of a climate emergency.
One Nation and the Liberals want more coal, Labor wants more gas – the Greens are the only ones who have serious policies that are backed by science to get us off fossil fuels and build more renewables, and lower people’s power bills.
Building more coal, gas or nuclear will cost Victorians thousands more on their power bills, yes One Nation and the Liberals don’t care about people and their bills, they only care about their fossil fuel donors.
We are watching climate disasters devastate communities around the world right now. The question should be how we get off coal and gas faster – not how to destroy our state with more coal and gas.
The Greens are the only ones with real policies to build more renewables and make the renewable transition fair, and replace coal and gas with cheaper, publicly-owned renewable energy to permanently cut power bills and cut climate pollution.”
