The Nature Conservation have given the three major parties running in the NSW election a quick report card on the major issues that their constituents are most concerned about and the Liberal Party are not happy.
The four key areas they have assessed the Greens, Labor and the Liberal/National coalition (LNP) parties on are:
1. Boost clean energy
2. Act on climate change
3. Protect the koala from deforestation
4. Restore Murray-Darling rivers and wetlands
While The Greens got two ticks for each one and Labor scored between a half and a full tick the LNP failed on all four fronts.
Referred to electoral commission
The Liberal Party have reportedly referred the scorecard to the electoral commission and threatened court action claiming their assessment is ‘tantamount to misleading voters’.
The Nature Conservation Council has responded saying it stands firmly by its independent assessment of the major political parties’ climate change and environmental policies as presented in its election score cards.
‘This is a bullying tactic by a party that prefers to silence critics rather than develop credible policies to tackle climate change and stop deforestation,’ Nature Conservation Council CEO Kate Smolski said.
‘The environment is a top issue for voters this election and they deserve to know where the parties stand.
‘Our scorecards help voters make an informed decision.
True reflection
‘The Liberal National coalition has an appalling track record on nature and climate change.
‘They have scrapped a Climate Change Plan to reduce our pollution and ripped up deforestation laws and allowed a tripling of habitat destruction in parts of the state.
‘We carefully and objectively assessed the parties’ policies on climate, energy, koala conservation and deforestation and have faithfully reflected the results in the scorecards we will be handing out at polling stations around the state tomorrow.
‘The Liberal and National parties scored last because they are proposing to do less to battle climate change, end deforestation and save our koalas than the Greens and the ALP.
‘If they don’t like the result, they need to change their policies.’
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