Thank you to everyone who attended our and ACF’s Federal Election Candidates Forum this past Wednesday! Over 150 people showed up to question their candidates’ records and commitments on protecting and restoring nature and securing a safe climate future. Such a huge turnout is how we hold our representatives to account, keep nature and climate on the agenda this election and remind our candidates that protecting nature and securing a safe climate is a major issue for Canberrans — an issue that will swing people’s votes.
With the Liberals not sending a candidate, we heard from Alicia Payne (ALP), Isabel Mudford (The Greens) and David Pocock (Independent) about what they were doing, what they would do, and what they haven’t done to fix Australia’s fundamentally flawed environment laws, end new coal and gas, speed up Australia’s renewable transition, end deforestation, and save the 2,000+ species currently facing extinction across Australia, including Canberra’s very own Earless Dragon. A major theme of the night was the question of how we can trust that politicians’ promises will actually translate into properly funded and evidence-based action, when promises have been broken on protecting nature and securing a safe climate time and time again.
In addition to our panel, we were also lucky enough to hear from Jessie Price, the independent candidate for Bean, and Claire Miles, the independent candidate for Canberra, about their position on nature and climate. On the side, we were grateful to showcase a handful of the many nature and climate advocacy groups in Canberra, including Rising Tide, the Canberra Forest Alliance, and the Friends of Callum Brae.
If you’re wondering what’s next on advocating for nature and our climate this election campaign, then check out our EPA Now! Campaign here, and, as always, keep engaging with your candidates and communities on these issues.
