ALP closes offices following release of energy policy

The call that went out to climate change activists across the country following the release of the Labor party energy policy has led to Bill Shorten, Annastasia Palaszczuk and Anthony Albanese locking down their electorate offices today. Faced with long ‘queue-ins’ of constituents seeking meetings to discuss climate change and the Adani coal mine, as Shorten launches his Energy Policy constituents were keen to make their voices heard.

‘A 45 per cent reduction target is fundamentally out of step with the action we need to take to avoid the worst of climate change. It falls significantly short of what the IPCC science demands for a safe future,’ said GetUp campaigns director Sam Regester.

‘This is out of step with the science and out of step with what Australians want. People want bold, ambitious action to reduce emissions and fight for a safe future.’

‘Stopping mining, burning and exporting coal and rapidly shifting to 100 per cent renewable energy is the only way we can avert the dangerous climate change that’s causing extreme weather, droughts, floods and bushfires. Until we do, things will only get worse.

‘If the Labor Party want a Great Barrier Reef that’s alive, if we want a future where we can still grow food and a future with less extreme weather events, they have to drastically up their emissions reductions target and stop burning coal. It’s as simple as that.’

This sentiment was echoed by Water Engineer, StopAdani campaigner and Brisbane resident Dr Anne Gardiner who said, ‘Australia faces another record-breaking summer of extreme heat, bushfires and drought. With the impacts of climate accelerating, the world just can’t afford to mine and burn more coal or allow unprecedented volumes of water to be extracted from inland rivers and precious water basins.

‘Long queue-ins outside Shorten, Palaszczuk and Albanese’s offices are a physical reminder that voters are sick of waiting for the Labor Party to promise it will Stop Adani.’