Climate change has emerged as one of the key differences in the Indi candidates’ policies after they squared off in the first forum ahead of this year’s election.
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They all agreed with the scientists that man-made climate change is real, but not on how to deal with the consequences.
Liberal candidate Steve Martin claimed told the Euroa event on Saturday that it was “trendy at the moment to say the government’s doing nothing”, but independent Helen Haines went on to criticise Australia’s “policy vacuum”.
“We have no policy and that is completely unacceptable,” she said.
“I know by nature, scientists are conservative people and I suspect that the modelling of the impacts of climate change are probably worse than we even think. I’m not trendy, I actually believe that we have no climate policy.”
Both Dr Haines and Labor candidate Eric Kerr said more investment needed to be made in initiatives coming out of regional areas.
“It makes a huge different when you have a cabinet and a ministry that actually believes in climate change,” Mr Kerr said.
“The community’s been making up where the government's been lacking for years, so now we need to support community energy.”
He promised to push the Labor Party even further when it came to renewable energy.
“Labor has announced a target of 50 per cent renewables by 2050, but my job will be pushing that extra 50,” he said.
Mr Martin said his engineering background meant he favoured a “practical, data-driven approach” and supported the government’s responsible clean energy and solar initiatives.
“It certainly seems the most likely thing to me is a man-made component to climate change, that’s something I’m absolutely comfortable with,” he said.
“We’re on a global stage, if we try to act in isolation, then we’re going to have a lot of unintended consequences.”
More than 100 people attended the forum on Saturday afternoon, organised by Strathbogie Inc.
Debate over republic can wait
Steve Martin is happy to not be participating in an America-style election.
Asked on Saturday if he supported Australia becoming a republic, the Liberal candidate said the current system was working well so change was not a priority for him.
“I have no envy as I look around the world at other government systems, I don’t envy America’s presidential system,” he said.
Independent candidate Helen Haines and Labor’s Eric Kerr are both republicans, but agreed the priority should be placing indigenous Australians at the centre of democracy.
“I would like to see Australia as a republic, but I don’t see it as our number one issue. I actually think we need to get our house in order around our first nations people before we jump to the republic … Once we’ve got that straight, see you later House of Windor,” Dr Haines said.
“We’ve all had great fun watching royal wedding on TV.
“I love that too, but it’s not who we are as Australians.”
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