Community
30 March, 2025
Greenies hit the hustings
MORE than 100 community members gathered for the Reef, Climate and Energy Forum last week when federal candidates for Leichhardt presented their policies on climate action, Reef protection and energy affordability.
Hosted by leading Far North Queensland conservation and community groups, the forum at Hemingway’s Brewery provided voters with a rare opportunity to hear directly from candidates and put pressing questions to them ahead of the upcoming federal election.
Candidates included Labor’s Matt Smith, the Greens’ Phillip Musumeci and independent Norman Miller, who each outlined their vision for addressing the key environmental and economic challenges facing the region.
Absent were Liberal candidate Jeremy Neal, One Nation’s Rob Hicks and Family First’s Les Searle.
Mr Smith said after a decade of denial and delay under the LNP, “we can’t afford to go backwards”.
“Labor has a real plan for climate action, protecting our Reef and securing a clean energy future. Let’s keep moving forward,” he said.
Mr Musumeci said there were questions on energy costs and disaster resilience “and I mentioned that the transition to renewables needs to occur as quickly as possible if we are to have any hope of limiting environmental damage”.
“We can’t keep voting for the same two parties and expect a different result. This election, vote for a party that will fight for you,” he said.
Mr Miller said he supported protecting the environment, including the two World Heritage areas of the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics World Heritage rainforest”.
“However, Chris Bowen and Albo’s obsession with renewables has damaged our economy so that the OECD has declared Australia has the worst debt blowout in the world,” he said.
“The ALP are ruining our economy and the Greens are pushing ALP further down the road to ruining Australia.”
Australian Marine Conservation Society campaigner Tanya Murphy said Leichhardt voters “are deeply invested in the future of the Reef and the climate policies that will protect it”.
“The packed room and engaged discussions last night show that people want real commitments, not just promises,” she said.
Cairns and Far North Environment Centre director Bronwyn Opie said for Leichhardt “climate change isn’t a distant threat – it’s happening now”.
“Families are still rebuilding after devastating floods, Torres Strait Islanders are seeing the ocean creep closer to their homes, and our Reef – the heart of our economy and identity – is at risk,” she said.
Divers for Climate CEO Dr Yolanda Waters said divers and the dive tourism industry witnessed firsthand the impacts of climate change on the Reef and “we are concerned about what this means for our industry and region”.
Queensland Conservation Council campaigner Charlie Cox said in the wake of Cyclone Alfred, climate change was shaping up to be a critical election issue for all of Queensland.
