Ged Kearney (Batman, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

My electorate of Batman is home to a vibrant and passionate community of activists. Many dedicate their time to acting on the climate emergency, including young schoolchildren who came to see me whilst on climate strike. The recent IPCC report paints a catastrophic picture for the future of the environment. The crisis we face is on a global scale so large it risks our national safety and indeed the existence of the human race. Action must be swift. It must be big. But it must ensure that people's livelihoods are secured and that their communities are maintained.

So I am proud that Labor has started us on this journey with policies that fit the bill: subsidised solar batteries for 100,000 homes; neighbourhood renewables programs that will assist renters and social housing residents to access renewable energy; a just transition authority, a vital part of the social infrastructure we need to assist families affected by the change; and a $10 million retraining fund for workers in the coal-fired power sector, because we need to transition away from coal based energy but we can't leave these workers in the lunch. Of course these policies are not all we will do to ensure we start cooling the planet. The member for Port Adelaide and the Leader of the Opposition have made that clear.

My community, like me, are concerned about new coal mines like Adani, which many feel should not go ahead. They are concerned about the rising costs of electricity, which can be contained with large-scale investment in renewables. My community are concerned about the impact on works. Only Labor has policies that take real action on climate change because we understand the urgency but we also care about people.

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