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Australia urgently needs to get serious about long-term climate policy – but there’s no sign of that in the election campaign (theconversation.com)

submitted 4 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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The election campaign must prioritise climate policy to ensure the next government drives the transition to a clean economy in a world upended by Donald Trump.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

A significant degree of policy is, for better or worse, dictated by whoever of the big 2 forms majority or majority-of-minority government. So of course, people can/should vote for parties that are stronger on policies that they care about like climate, but movement in the platforms of the big two matters a lot as well.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 days ago (2 children)

OK, so how can we create movement in the platforms of the big two parties? Here are some approaches I'm aware of, what do you think?

preferencing The Greens and independents/ minor parties that prioritise the environment will put more pressure on major parties to change their policies
asking your local candidates to commit to environmental issues you care about: e.g. more limits on fossil fuel expansion, more support for renewables, committing to the Great Forest National Park, more funding for endangered species monitoring and protections, protecting our forests and better enforcing laws against landclearing and pollution, putting a real price on carbon, making polluting industries pay through better taxes that foreground environmental impacts.

What else?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago

Upgrade the electoral system from the instant runoff voting to the single transferable vote.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago

what do you think?

Hah, I think I appreciate your constructive optimism

Those are the two easy ones that come to mind; there's also "visibility-raising" actions like joining in on marches / protests, though I've never been quite sure what the marginal benefit of those are