Oct 21st 2018

A crushing blow to the hard-right’s pro-coal agenda

Everyday people have sent an overwhelming message to politicians - you have no right to govern if you deliberately ignore the climate.

Everyday people have sent an overwhelming message to politicians: you have no right to govern if you deliberately ignore the climate.

Climate change was the defining issue of the Wentworth by-election with voters identifying climate inaction as the number one issue that impacted their vote in exit polls.

GetUp campaign director Miriam Lyons said hundreds and hundreds of everyday people ensured the Wentworth vote became a referendum on climate change.

“GetUp’s campaign reached almost every voter in Wentworth and demonstrated that together we have the people power to make a massive and unprecedented impact,” she said.

“People have been knocking down our door desperate to do anything to send the out-of-touch Liberals a message that ignoring climate change is both dangerous and unforgivable.

“Unless the Liberal Party acts on climate change not even its safest seat is safe.”

In less than four weeks, GetUp members made more than 90,000 phone calls to voters in the electorate. More than 300 volunteers handed out how to vote cards across every booth on polling day, giving up their time because they are desperate for our politicians to protect the people and places they love from coal pollution.

“The community has clearly stated you have no right to govern without a climate change

Policy. Voters deserted the Liberal party in droves, in favour of Kerryn Phelps, a candidate who supports stopping Adani, backing clean energy and phasing out coal by 2030.

“With the federal election around the corner, the extreme right should be trembling in its boots.”