Reactive statement from Nic Seton, CEO of Parents for Climate
And quotes from more parents in QLD, NSW and VIC below.
Nic Seton, CEO for Parents for Climate says: “The decision by the Federal Liberal leadership to walk away from Australia’s climate commitments is a failure of responsibility to Australian families. Parents are already dealing with higher food prices, rising insurance costs, dangerous heat and smoke, and growing risks to their children’s health. Scrapping climate action means more pollution, higher bills and more danger for our kids.
“Parents want leadership that protects children from harm. What we have instead is a plan to let global heating run unchecked. That means more extreme heat, rising seas, and more communities hit by floods, smoke and storms. It also means higher power bills because abandoning clean energy keeps families locked into expensive gas and unreliable coal.
“Every day, millions of Australian households prove that clean energy lowers costs. Solar is already saving families three billion dollars a year. The more clean energy we build, the safer and more affordable life becomes. Turning away from that is not only irresponsible, it puts parents under even more pressure at a time when many are already struggling.
“Australian families deserve leaders who take their safety seriously. Treating climate change as a political game fails the people who depend on strong decisions the most, including our children. Parents for Climate is calling on all parties to put families first and deliver the clean energy solutions that protect children, strengthen communities, and lower household costs.
“Parents will not accept leaders who gamble with the safety of their children. We expect better.”
Reuben Schwarz, a dad in Sydney said, “I’m pretty angry, to be honest, with all this nonsense from the politicians. We need to stop arguing over established science and get to work fixing things. No more politics. Our kids deserve better than political point scoring and division.”
Ben Cox, a dad in Melbourne said, "How would these politicians explain to my two girls, still at kinder, how they're walking away from reducing emissions?
“20 years ago the Liberal party listened to the experts and implemented gun reform laws, which are still protecting everyday Australians from gun violence. How can the same political party be so indifferent to protecting our kids from the threat of bushfires and floods?
"When my kids reach school, I was hoping climate change would be a simple science topic. Not something they have to worry about. What a backwards step by the Coalition."
Tasman Carvolth, a dad in Gold Coast QLD said, “As a Dad, my son’s safety is everything to me. So I expect our leaders to commit to serious climate action to keep him safe.
“If leaders care about my son and all Australians, they’ll commit to fast, strong climate action to keep us all safe. My family’s safety and prosperity depends on a safe climate”
Note for editors:
According to Climate Council’s Seize the Sun report: Cost-of-living relief is a key reason to invest in rooftop solar, with the average household saving more than $1,500 a year. Collectively, Australian households with rooftop solar are saving nearly $3 billion a year on their power bills. https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/seize-the-sun/
About Parents for Climate:
Parents for Climate represents over 26,000 parents, grandparents and carers from Australia. We are Australia’s leading organisation for people who care about a safe future for kids and advocating for a safe climate. Our supporters come from across the political spectrum, all Australian electorates, and from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds. We seek non-partisan responses to climate change and its impacts.
We advocate for Australian governments and businesses to take urgent action to cut Australia’s carbon emissions to net zero as quickly as possible. We encourage Australia to demonstrate leadership on the world stage through positive and proactive domestic action and calling for other nations to take the necessary steps to protect our children’s futures. For more information, visit www.parentsforclimate.org