Have your say...

Submissions due 23 November 2023

The Federal Parliament, for the first time, is considering a Bill to implement a duty of care to young people to take our health and wellbeing into account when making decisions that could impact the climate. This Bill is before the Senate Committee on Environment and Communications for inquiry.

And you have a chance to make your voice heard in this important conversation, by making a submission to the inquiry.

Don't be intimidated by the word "submission"

Submissions are usually written and can be provided in any format or style. Some submissions will be made publicly available. Submissions benefit both the public and decision-makers. They provide an evidence base for public interest organisations, policy makers and others to use in advocating for their cause, amending plans or conducting inquiries.". In lot's of ways it is like writing a letter. 

We think this is a great opportunity for parents and kids to make their voices heard. Here is how you can do it:

Use this simple guide to making a submission: link

Upload your own submission at the webpage here:

• https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Environment_and_Communications/DutyofCareBill
• or email it to [email protected]

If you have trouble making your submission, have a question, or want to talk about the inquiry, please call the Environment and Communications Committee’s secretariat on +61 2 6722 3526, or email on [email protected]

More resources

Click here to access resources for teachers and parents:

Click here to join a "writeshop" webinar On Sunday, 19 November:

Click here to amplify your impact and send your submission to your local federal politician:

Written By: Carla Pascoe Leahy – Historian at University of Tasmania, Researcher, Mother and Volunteer at Australian Parents For Climate Action.

Read below or watch the video.

My name’s Carla Pascoe Leahy. I’m an historian who specialises in the history of childhood, parenthood and family. I want to share with you my research into how climate change is impacting families.

I was researching the history of Australian motherhood in 2019 when the Black Summer fires began. As I conducted interviews with Australian mothers, I noticed that more and more of them were talking about the impacts of these horrific fires on their parenting. I began to suspect that we might be seeing the beginning of a dramatic shift in the way we experience day to day family life and hence how we think about family more broadly.

The parent juggle is real. Do you ever wonder what you can do about climate change? What are other parents doing to create change? How are they dealing with the emotional toll of being a parent in an era of climate change?

Australian Parents for Climate Action was built from the ground up by concerned parents like you, volunteering their time to ensure a safer future for our children.

We are solutions-focused and non-partisan, with the mission of influencing government and business to take more action on climate.

Our volunteers are actively engaged in a range of activities that support national and local campaigns and are supporting the organisation in creating a parent powered movement for positive climate action in Australia.

Our current opportunities to volunteer are:

• Join a local group - find your nearest group
• Start up a local group in your community
• Join the policy and submissions team
• Join the Social media team
• Become a media spokesperson/ champions program
• Other Volunteer recruitment positions can be found here

Click on the links above to find out more or connect with the volunteer teams, or register your interest for a role in the fields provided.

If you would like to find out more contact [email protected]

Come join with us and together we can get more action on climate in 2023 and beyond!

On the weekend, we held our first @littleclimateheroesplaygroup for 2023.

I was tired. We planned it at the last minute. And I didn’t expect many to come. But I knew if we canceled it would be easier to cancel the next and grind to a halt.

So we invited people to join us, simply, to tidy the garden. To our surprise, quite a crew showed up.

We sat down to discuss our intention for the year. The children, with their incredible, innate wisdom and ability to learn, listed goals like “everybody loves planting!” And “get the government to listen to us” and “finish climate action”. All of which I stand by…But maybe a lot for one year! As we got more specific, it became clear that what the kids enjoyed best (outside of gardening!) was protesting. In particular, they loved the feeling of being heard. I asked “ok. But all we have done lately is garden. How do we get from gardening to protesting? And do we want to do only gardening? Or only protesting?”

One wise little soul said “we need a pattern. And we need to start with gardening. Because then we can say we already started because we did gardening today”.

Something about that idea resonated so deeply. The idea of simply making a start, even if it isn’t perfect. Even if it’s not your end goal.

Eventually, conversation turned to the Voice to Parliament. One of our playgroup parents works in aboriginal affairs, and talked about the different views she has heard in her work.  She shared some of her insights with the children.

The children started to see that, just as not every kid in year 2 thinks the same as every other year 2, so there is not one monolithic thing called the “Indigenous voice”. Creating a plan for the Voice requires careful listening and consultation. Not all will agree. But for those saying it’s not enough, I want to say “let’s start with the gardening so we can say we’ve started”. The momentum that brings! The sense of not aiming for the end all at once, but moving in the right direction. And with enough “yes”es, the steps will move faster and become a run.

We decided on these words for our 2023 intention: Listen. Communicate. Act.

If that doesn’t sound like the perfect beginning, I don’t know what is.

- Reflections of Liz Baker.

More information about Little Climate Heroes playgroup

Climate Heroes is a child centred and child led gathering for families and the supports around them. We come together to empower our smallest ones with the knowledge, passion and purpose to work to protect our environment, to advocate for change, and to find fulfilment and purpose in community. In the process, grown ups engage in nurturing their own hope, sense of purpose, connection to community and ability to be caretakers and leaders.

All activities and conversation hold hope at their heart. We protect and strengthen our children by maintaining child/age appropriate subject matter and language. We take seriously the importance of focussing on what we can do, rather than what we can’t. We buffer and channel our grown up worries into action, hope and power for our children. This is not the space to share our own anxiety. This is the space to guide our children, and in turn, find our own motivation and encouragement. This is a space of play and exploration, not just for children, but for adults too.

Based on a combination of permaculture, principals of regenerative culture, and the “Work that Reconnects” of activist Joanna Macy and supported by AP4CA, our group will meet regularly and locally to lead families through creative expression and learning, paired with practical activities like tending a community garden and preparing for (family friendly) climate actions. For more information contact Claire or Liz at [email protected] or connect via through instagram

Easy, fun and impactful events are actions like organising a climate walk, climate picnic, playgroup, play-in or even a climate coffee. The key is to be visible, create an opportunity for climate conversations with your network, community and especially your local politicians.

ONLY 6 STEPS TO PARTICIPATE - keep scrolling👇 for templates

1. Decide on type of event: Location, Date/Time
2. Create some promotional materials - templates below
3. Register your event with us HERE -  we will create an event on our national facebook page and website to help promote your event/action
4. Send a media release with our easy template
   
5. Invite your local politicians, your community and/ or friends
   1. Find your Federal representatives details https://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/
   2. For Victorians prior to the state election you might want to look here https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/findelectorate/

WE LOVE OUR KIDS, LET'S SHOW IT!

RESOURCES/ TEMPLATES FOR YOUR EVENT

COMMUNITY PROMOTION

• For the ❤️ of our kids logo - CLICK HERE
• Social media tiles - CLICK HERE and download to use.

LOCAL MEDIA

• Template local media release - HERE
• Media tips can be found HERE
• Local media training - CANA webinar - ACCESS HERE

POLITICIANS/ CANDIDATES

• Template candidate email invitations copy - CLICK HERE
• Cost Of Living Report - CLICK HERE

Sign up for National Action Month to get action updates about events across Australia.

By joining the National Action Month this November, you'll find out about how you can take action, share inspiring stories from parents and grandparents across the world, and get the support to make a big difference.

Getting active on climate is the best antidote to despair, by actively creating hope for a better future. And it is fun!

Throughout November, families will demonstrate to key decision makers that they need to be doing more to ensure a safe future for all our children. 

You are a critical member of our movement - so sign up to join the action.

"Each time we turn up for a protest, plant a tree, or volunteer to help our community, we're putting our energy toward making our world a better place. None of these actions has a certain outcome, but we do them anyway, because we know that collectively our efforts do amount to real change." - Brenna Quinlan