I have always been concerned about the environment and its ability to sustain a growing population that has consumerism as a defining feature.

Then last semester I took Dr Peter Christoff’s enlightening subject Climate Change Policy and Politics.  Along with the policy and politics came the science behind climate change and descriptions of the impact it is already having on many people’s lives and the impact it will have in the (very) near future on all of us.

I turned on the television this evening and the news had dramatic footage of fires in Russia and floods in Pakistan.  And of course our own bushfires in 2009 are still fresh in my mind.  My parents both fought fires for the CFA for weeks that summer (and many others).  My sister is a climatologist and has been talking about the reality of climate change for a decade.

How can any issue be more important than the environment?  If we have no environment then it doesn’t matter what the schools are like, whether there are enough hospital beds or whether we are all connected to the internet at the speed of 100 megabits per second.

Labour talks about cleaner power stations, the cleaner car rebate, connecting renewables, emission standards for cars, and tax breaks for green buildings.  That’s like emptying the bath one teaspoon at a time instead of pulling the plug.  And there is no mention on the website of the elusive Emissions Trading Scheme.  I could not find their overall strategy or any budget for environmental action.

I went hunting for Real Action on the Coalition website and, hallelujah, they have a Direct Action Plan for the Environment and Climate Change, and it is detailed and budgeted.  They propose spending $3.1 billion over four years.  To put that figure into context their commitment to hospitals and nursing is $3.6 billion and to broadband is $5.3 billion over approximately six years.

The Greens have the strongest statements concerning climate change but little detail and no budget detail.  They propose a 40 percent cut in emissions by 2020 and that polluters must pay for it.  No further detail.

And if I voted for the Greens in my electorate, where would preferences go, and what difference would it make?

I have more work to do (and so do the parties) before August 21.

Penny Rush
Student, Master of Public Policy and Management