AROUND 100 community members packed the Cavanbah Hall in Coffs Harbour for the Cowper Climate Forum last Friday night.
Five of the seven candidates for Cowper in the upcoming Federal Election attended the event, hosted by the Coffs Coast Climate Action Group (CCCAG) and the local School Strike 4 Climate group.
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Carolyn Heise (Independent), Keith McMullen (Labor), Timothy Nott (Greens), Faye Aspiotis (One Nation) and Simon Chasling (Liberal Democrats) took the stage to answer audience questions on their climate policies.
The sitting Member for Cowper, Nationals candidate Pat Conaghan, did not respond to his invitation.
His absence was marked by an empty chair and a sign.
Coffs Coast Climate Action Group’s Liisa Rusanen, said, “Turning up to engage respectfully with your constituents is the bare minimum for an MP.”
Several questions came from children and teenagers, who expressed concern for their future, in light of the increase in extreme weather events, floods and fires, and dire predictions from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
School Strike organiser Rataj Abdullah asked about the Government’s duty of care to protect young people from climate harm when approving new coal mines – the subject of a recent High Court case.
Other questions revolved around removing taxpayer subsidies for fossil fuels, plans for a fair transition away from coal and gas, and cutting emissions to reach net zero.
There was also significant enthusiasm for the growing renewables industry, which already has a strong base in Cowper, with the potential for many more local jobs.
Audience member Nicole Read noted during her question to the candidates, “In every Federal election in recent decades there have been scare campaigns about the cost of climate action, and it’s happening again.
“I don’t think we hear enough about the benefits that will result from policies to reduce emissions,” she said.
Forum attendee Bill Davies asked a question about donations to candidates from coal and gas companies, and called for action to reduce the political influence of the fossil fuel industry.
He described the forum as “a wonderfully inclusive, mature contest of ideas”.
Ms Rusanen said, “It was a lively discussion, showing a wide diversity in candidates’ understanding of climate science and the action needed.
“Most people actually want action on climate change, and we don’t have another three years to waste, so we really encourage everyone to get informed and keep climate in mind when voting.”
CCCAG will be releasing a candidate ‘scorecard’ for both Cowper and Page electorates this week on its website or social media pages.
By Andrew VIVIAN
