The world’s leading authority on climate change, the IPCC, recently released a sobering report on the physical impacts of climate change. 
  
Scott Morrison’s response was to again knock back the essential starting point to climate change action, net zero emissions by 2050.  
             
The report confirms that in Australia temperatures are already on average 1.4 degrees hotter and getting warmer. 
  
That’s higher than the global average. 
  
This looks like: 

• Increasing extremes such as the incessant drought and devastating floods of recent years; 
• Increases in the severity of the deadly heatwaves we experience; and 
• Greater intensity and duration of our bushfire season, like the nation experienced last year.  

This warming is caused by human activity. And it’s a race to do something about it. Saying “I don’t hold a hose” just doesn’t cut it. Our children and grandchildren deserve more.
  
This report is another clear sign that the world is going to move rapidly toward renewable energy. We are in danger of missing the bus and letting other countries steal jobs in renewables.
  
By investing in renewables, we could be creating thousands of good-paying jobs in growing industries and making power cheaper for homes and businesses alike.  
  
We have a once in a generation opportunity for Australia to jump ahead of the pack – with renewable energy, made by our workers and our technology here at home, being exported to a world hungry with demand.  
  
Instead, we are saddled with a Prime Minister who refuses to act.    
  
The world’s climate emergency is Australia’s jobs opportunity.  
  
Labor’s plan to create jobs and cut emissions includes a commitment to net zero by 2050 and outlining a strong roadmap to get there. 
  
We will invest $20 billion to Rewire the Nation, urgently upgrading the electricity grid, using local content and creating local jobs while we do it, to bring on renewables. 
  
We will provide incentives for 10,000 young Australians to train in the new energy jobs of the future.  
  
We will end Morrison’s scaremongering on electric vehicles and cut taxes to make them cheaper. 
  
We will install 400 community batteries across the country, reducing power bills and cutting emissions. 
  
We will prioritise offshore wind regulations to unlock the billions of dollars and thousands of jobs for Australia’s regions that Morrison is stalling.  
  
We have a Government divided even on the basic science of climate change, unable to commit to net zero by 2050, let alone able to deliver on the opportunities the changing global economy presents for Australia’s future.  
  
With Scott Morrison it is always too little too late.  It is a race, and it’s time we caught up. 

The current COVID-19 pandemic has revealed an alarming fact about modern day politics and our politicians in particular. One side of the political divide – clearly in this case, the conservative side – has unfortunately adopted a disappointing approach by which its political judgement has been swayed by purely by its narrow, self-centred ideology.

In any time of crisis, we need governments to perform an important role in protecting the social fabric of our society. It is what we elect our governments to do. We need clear, rational and responsive leadership. Importantly, we need people who can reach across the political divide to act as statesmen and stateswomen, putting the needs of our citizens first, especially the vulnerable in our community.

Unfortunately, the reluctance of the Coalition – both at national and state levels – to promote a consistent, comprehensive plan to tackle COVID and its impact has been clear from Day 1.

Mr Morrison, in particular, is a classic example of failed leadership.

As has been pointed out, time and time again, Mr Morrison, and many in his government, has failed the test of leadership in a crisis by resorting to blame everyone but himself for his own public policy failures and to divide the country dependent upon which political party is in government at the state level.

Mr Morrison’s criticism of state leaders who were guided by professional health advice is disgraceful. Rather than act in a supportive role, Mr Morrison placed his energy into undermining the messages that state health professionals were promoting. Indeed, if Mr Morrison put as much time, energy and resources into properly addressing COVID as he does his obsession with ‘announcements’, we would be well on the way to a better outcome for everyone.

If we also look to the LNP at the state level here in Queensland, we also see a sad and sorry mish-mash of policy failure. Their message in undermining the Palaszczuk Government in its attempt to keep Queenslanders safe is well documented. The LNP opposition were opposed to many of the measure that kept people safe. Their half-measured, ill thought out policy responses were clearly rejected by voters at the 2020 state election. Yet, nine months later, they still cling to their hysterical stance. It is a failure that is now cemented in the history books.

Regardless of ideology, our public policy responses – especially in the field of public health and safety – must be guided by evidence, science and the facts. Resorting to a purely political stance to satisfy the corporate elite, conspiracy theorists and those in the media peddling misinformation is abhorrent and must be soundly rejected.