Last month, the Energy and Environment Committee published its inquiry report into the Climate Change Bills.
Over 96,000 people had signed a petition in support of the Bills and 99.9% of the 6,500 submissions made to the enquiry supported the Bills. However, on 3 August, the chair of the Committee publicly presented the report back to the House of Representatives with a recommendation that the Bills be ‘not adopted’. Therefore, the Bills do not get to be debated or voted on in Parliament at this time.
Zali Steggall, the MP who introduced the Bills had the opportunity to introduce an accompanying, dissenting report to the House to show how strenuously she objected to the government’s decision not to recommend the Bills be adopted.
You can watch a video, and read the full transcript, of the proceedings here.
What happens now?
The report on the Bill has been referred for further discussion in the Federation Chamber at Parliament House. Zali Steggall is incorporating amendments from the inquiry process so she can re-present it.
On 9 August the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will be publishing its latest climate report and indications are that it will not be good news. It is likely that Australia’s climate change policy will come under increasing scrutiny as the world prepares for the COP 26 conference in Glasgow starting on October 31st.
What can you do?
- Write to your local federal MP asking them to support a debate and vote on the Climate Change Bill
- Write to your local newspaper in support with a letter to the editor
- Call in to your local radio station
- Talk with your friends and neighbours about climate change impacts and how your community and lives might be impacted
For more information visit Climate Act Now and take action through the Mass Mailout for Climate
