Darren Coyne
A new political party focused on tackling climate change is being formed by a group of north coast residents.
The Renewable Energy Party plans to stand candidates in every state and territory at the next Federal election in 2016.
Following a meeting at the Lismore Worker’s Club this week, the political hopefuls announced they were in the process of signing up the 500 members required to form the party.
Campaign manager Jim Moylan said membership was not likely to be a problem.
‘Aussies are really passionate about climate change,’ Mr Moylan said.
‘Our Facebook page has gone-off like a skyrocket. All we did was set up a news-feed to climate change news – and a big audience appeared.’
Mr Moylan told Echonetdaily that the micro-party would act as ‘better angels’ to The Greens and other left-leaning parties.
Mr Moylan and Graham Askey, who is the registered officer of the new party, were heavily involved in the HEMP party.
‘The HEMP party has gone about as far as it will go as a federal political party,’ Mr Moylan said.
‘It would be difficult to dislodge from Nimbin to take it to the next step.’
‘The ambition was to get medical cannabis into the mainstream and that’s happened.
‘Graham Askey, who is the numbers man, and myself had been looking to work more in the mainstream and this is it.’
Party founder Peter Breen, a former independent member of the New South Wales Parliament, and a former member of both Labor and the Liberal parties, will be national coordinator of the party.
Mr Breen, a resident of Byron Bay, said the party had good prospects.
‘Of course they will take us seriously. We are well funded, well organised and mainstream,’ Mr Breen said.
‘We have advertising people, political insiders, fund-raisers, social media specialists and other professionals.
‘The Renewable Energy Party wants science and the public interest to dictate the terms of the climate debate – not coal, gas and oil companies.’
Following the Lismore meeting, the fledging party released the following statement.
‘Renewable energy needs grass roots representation. More than a million households in Australia now use solar energy and we are getting a very bad deal from the major energy companies who all own coal mines.
‘Currently, Australians are paying as much as $1,000 per year for electricity and gas connections – before we even turn on our appliances. On top of that, the major energy companies pay 6 to 8 cents for solar power exported to the grid while charging four times that amount for customers to buy it back”
‘In the UK, politicians are talking seriously about phasing out fossil fuels, but Australian politicians are talking about phasing out renewable energy. The Renewable Energy Party hopes to bring a consumer’s perspective to the debate in Australia.’
‘The Renewable Energy Party will speak on behalf of the many Australians who believe that climate change is simply the most important issue we face. We support the 97 per cent of climate scientists who say man-made climate change is real and we need to do something serious about the predicted global temperature rise.
‘According to the International Monetary Fund, Australia’s implicit subsidies to oil, coal and gas companies are worth 1.8 per cent of GDP, or about $23 billion annually. Subsidies to the renewable energy industry are small beer by comparison.
‘The Renewable Energy Party has been formed to highlight the differences between the favourable treatment given to the fossil fuel industries by government and the difficulties faced by the emerging renewable energy industry.
‘It is also a fact that renewable energy creates more jobs per unit of energy delivered than fossil or nuclear fuels. Action on climate change is our best hope for better present and a more promising future,’ the statement concluded.
Great idea but I wouldn’t limit yourself to renewable energy. There are other very low-emission options that may also be able to address climate change issues and replace fossil fuels; which is a big call if you only use renewable energy.
So much more along-side of renewable energy, sustainable agriculture replacing artificial fertilizers with many having fossil fuel origins, self sufficiency in local organic food production with emphasis on seasonal locally grown clean food in our super markets, eliminating great distance transporting pollution, stopping herbicide use contaminating soil, water and air which eventually reaches our warming ocean which is now the planet’s biggest heating conductor, eliminating fossil fuel origin plastic from our environment, reducing human expansion into our remaining fauna/flora habitat, eliminating our ever increasing food waste and on and on it goes.
Good luck.
Why would we want another party to tackle climate change when we have a party called the Greens.
Just to split the Green vote I suppose. Great sentiment however I’m sad that the green vote gets split and
makes it more likely that we get to keep the sitting National
we have to and can replace fossil fuel, sarting the SOLAR REVOLUTION the technology is ther, needs to come political legal. Good luck
Lismore is a conservative city, so how can there be Climate Change in Lismore.
This political party will be scratching and will have to start from scratch.
I’m in fb page or website? Too many people saying ” but wot if, or how wouldn’t work” We can & will do this.
Don..excellent points there. However the overarching feel was a little negative. Get on board & lets include these.
e are very keen to be involved. Please send us more information re membership, etc.
Congratulations !! To the Renewable Energy Party..
NB: In total agreeance with all comments above.
However, my feelings are if you are to be voted for, and secure a seat in parliament, (which is of course where you will be able to implement these much needed renewable energy changes) It will be necessary to supply to the public more than just policies on “renewable energies”. Unfortunately this is where there has always been a problem (when starting up a new political “alternative” party) .. and limits many people from voting seriously for the new party.
As we all know, the press is renowned for having a field day with start up new party’s and their representatives. This has been witnessed regularly in the past as journalists take great delight in trying to expose the lack of the new partys’ policies (policies other than the reason for the parties existence in the first place eg. renewable energy) Hence, this lack of policies, combined with anything less than a complete and thorough understanding and ability to communicate to the public and journalists the policies relating to the existence of the party (which must be able to withstand every form of scrutiny possible) leaves the new party and it’s representative raw, exposed and painted in a very poor light to all.
Suggestion: – A new party that can seriously put together policies (and present this to it’s constituents) covering all the necessities of running this country in a mature, balanced, ethical and “Green” way, (And yes, this does include a complete understanding and ability to implement a “budget”, so mathematics and foresight required here 🙂 would have the vote of most people in this country !!!!
How I would love to be able to vote for a party that is not the Labour Party and not the Liberal Party (This being the end result of course… when preferences are considered.) Thank goodness we do have the Greens!! …… Alas even the Green vote goes to one of the major parties
Sincerely wishing you all the very best Renewable Energy Party 🙂 🙂
Good work to try to get focus in the political arena on an aspect of this most fundamental issue of our age. Even better if the party focus was a bit more open-ended as some others are suggesting – but then maybe on a slippery slope back to the Greens and the machinations of mainstream political power-mongering. The last election showed narrow focus parties could get a voice, so “good luck” and where / how does one join?
34 years of no climate action “proves” the people have spoken and “proves” science isn’t able to “prove” that the end is near. Deny that.
All it proves is the power of vested interests and the media, strangely the planet pays them no heed and that is a concern going by the historical geological record
Good luck guys.
May I humbly suggest a focus on science, research, education and technology, a smart country.
An excellent dovetail.
Plenty absolutely disgusted with the very expensive wasted opportunity the Turnbull/LNP dogsbreakfast of an NBN, even suggestions of independents there, plus disgruntled researchers, small and medium businesses that are trying to be innovative.
Try talking to people like Dick Smith
Look to a progressive party that puts Australia’s interests first so all can benefit