Climate change is real and we need to be supporting the development of effective environmental policies, says Dr Mike Freelander.
The federal member for Macarthur has weighed in on the Labor Party kerfuffle this week over energy and climate policy.
“Our nation’s future depends on us getting our response to this issue right – as does our economy’s future prosperity,’’ he says.
“We owe it to our children, and our children’s children, to finally cease being divided on this front.’’
Dr Freelander points to energy providers and companies shifting away from fossil fuels as evidence that it is inevitable they’re on the way out.
“Policy makers must not buck this trend. Our nation’s leaders must commit to facilitating future economic growth and prosperity by investing in the growing sectors of our modernizing economy,’’ he said.
“Organisations such as the Labor Environmental Action Network (LEAN) have a crucial role to play in this space, and I am proud to be part of a party that encourages this sort of open dialogue.
“It is inevitable that we will turn away from fossils, whether they be in the form of individuals with antiquated views, or whether they be in the form of fuels,’’ Dr Freelander said.
He also supports those who believe that climate change played a part in last summer’s devastating bushfires and the floods that followed.
“There is consensus around that simple fact amongst scientists and the general population,’’ he said.
“As a nation, we must support the development of environmental policies which are aimed at addressing the great challenge of climate change.
“A policy vacuum exists in this space, and it is ill-conceived to issue blatant attacks on the people and organisations that are willing to try and fill this void.’’
