Rise above your previous political affiliations. In the Senate, Vote 1 for Climate Change Coalition.
The time to stop climate change has come and gone. A one to two degree rise in global temperatures is now locked in regardless of what we do now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
However we must act now to avoid even more catastrophic consequences. With your vote the Climate Change Coalition will be your voice in the senate that will ensure that the focus remains on climate change.
We have just come through the frenzied period during which the various parties have been negotiating their deals on preferences. On the basis of my experience in this regard, I must say that our system of preferential voting is rotten to the core.
I have submitted two group voting tickets – one placing the Liberal Party last, and the other placing the Labor Party last. On both tickets, The Greens are placed down the list, though ahead of the major parties, The Nationals and the Citizens Electoral Council. This is what I believed was required for us to win - and that is what we’re in this for. Losing is not an option.
In submitting two tickets I tried to rise above the politics and say “I don’t care what your political allegiances have been in the past.” The decisions we make today on climate change will define our future world for decades to come. We need to rise above our traditional political and ideological allegiances and vote for the planet.
Unfortunately, I have received flak from all sides of politics and from supporters who have traditionally supported both sides of politics. I’ve had people say that they can’t vote for me because my preferences might cause their vote to flow to the Greens. I’ve had individuals from green organisations who I respect actively campaigning against me because I didn’t place the Greens higher in my order of preferences. I’ve had people say to me that they can’t believe that I placed Liberal ahead of Labor (on 50% of the ballots).
It seems that with our preferential voting system, you cannot simply remain apolitical. This is something that I find deeply disturbing, though this is a fight that I will have to leave for another day.
If you are concerned about my order of preferences, then I suggest that you vote below the line, placing myself and Sarah as 1 and 2 and then voting according to your own preferences. This will take a little longer, though will ensure that your vote goes where you want it to go.
Neither of the major parties is covering themselves in glory over climate change. It is true that the Liberal/National Coalition has been in government for more than 10 years and has failed to act on Climate Change. However it is also true to say that neither of the parties has demonstrated during this election campaign that they truly believe that Climate Change is the biggest challenge we face.
The Climate Change Coalition is unashamedly a one platform party. Our focus is climate change. Climate change will affect all aspects of our society – from health, immigration and welfare to transportation, national security and the economy. If we don’t act urgently to avoid the most dramatic consequences of climate change, any existing concerns about those other aspects will pale into insignificance.
Our job in the senate will be to keep the other parties focussed on climate change. A vote for Climate Change Coalition in the senate will ensure that all decisions that come before the Senate will be scrutinised for their impacts on the planet and our society from a climate change perspective.
Almost all other parties have shown the degree to which they don’t believe that climate change is a critical issue by placing us low in their order of preferences. We can still win, however we will need a strong primary vote in order to stand a chance of getting elected.
I have risen above my comfortable life in the Perth Hills to take a stance against the overwhelming complacency about climate change at a corporate and political level. I have tried to take an apolitical stance and in doing so have been criticised from all sides of politics.
All I can ask you to do is to RISE ABOVE your previous political affiliations, allegiances or ideologies and to vote with your heart.
You will have two votes on Election Day.
In the House of Representatives, vote for whomever you want to form government.
In the Senate, Vote 1 for Climate Change Coalition.
Can we win? YES. We need 160,000 votes and that is where YOU come in. By sending this e-mail on to all your contacts and by urging them to also send it on to their contacts, we can quickly reach this number.
I don’t have the big marketing budget of the bigger parties, so your help is critical. Together we can do this!