- Nearly six in seven of the 879 people surveyed last Wednesday (85%) said they were affected by the summer bushfires in some way.
- 59% of people surveyed agreed with the statement that “the government is not doing enough to address climate change” – including 48% who strongly agreed.
- 59% people also said they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who supported publicly-funded renewable energy projects to create secure, full-time jobs in the local area.
- Respondents were evenly spread on voting intentions - the two party preferred split, based on national preference flows at the 2019 election, is Labor 51.5% to Liberal 48.5%.
GetUp’s National Director Paul Oosting said:
“People in Eden-Monaro won’t let politicians forget how their community was devastated by the bushfire crisis, and they overwhelmingly want real, urgent action on climate change.
“People in Eden-Monaro see a clear link between leadership on the bushfires and taking action for a safer climate, and it’s their top concern.
“After Australia’s worst bushfire season, climate change and public investment in renewables could be a deciding factor in the upcoming by-election.
“This should be a wake-up call to the Coalition on climate change. It’s not just about people in Eden-Monaro, it’s about the safety of all regional Australians.
“The newly pre-selected Liberal candidate Fiona Kotvojs, who did not back in the science of climate change in the previous election campaign, will have her work cut out to convince the electorate she is up to the task of providing climate leadership.
“GetUp has more than 6,000 members living in Eden-Monaro who will be talking to their community about how we can recover better from the bushfires and create a safer climate future and sustainable jobs with investment in clean renewable energy.
“Our members will throw their support behind the ABC for the vital role it played as an emergency broadcaster during the bushfire crisis, in stark contrast to the climate misinformation peddled by the Murdoch press.
“This is a tight race and could come down to a handful of votes. We’re asking candidates to listen to the issues their community cares about and give them a say in the recovery,” said Paul Oosting.