Media release – Extinction Rebellion Northern Tasmania, 4 October 2023

Spring climate action continues in Northern Tasmania!

Extinction Rebellion Northern Tasmania conducted a quiet, nonviolent direction-action on Friday 29 September in Launceston. They targeted the office of Liberal Senator Wendy Askew to express grave concern for the weak climate policy of the Coalition opposition and to urge much stronger action in holding the government to account.

The office staff refused to discuss the protesters’ concerns and rang the police. Tasmania Police indicated there was another incident requiring their urgent attention and asked Extinction Rebelllion to avoid arrest to assist police. The protesters agreed to this request and immediately left the office.

Extinction Rebellion will continue to call all federal politicians to play their part on reducing the risk of climate collapse.

A similar visit to Senator Helen Polley on 1st September resulted in 3 people being arrested for trespass.

In the light of the record-breaking weather events around the globe this year, and the anticipation by meteorologists that 2024 may be even worse, the protesters believe that the Australian Government and the Opposition have neglected their Duty of Care to current and future generations.

Why do these protesters keep coming back?

“I’m here because both the Opposition and the Government are failing to act on the scientific evidence that we are in a climate emergency,” said Gwen Woods.

“Their lack of action is threatening the future of the younger generation and ongoing generations, as well as the survival of the animals and birds who are part of this earth.  Our near neighbours who live in low lying countries are already suffering with rising sea water affecting their land and their ability to grow crops.

“This should be above party politics and both parties need to work together and acknowledge their duty of care.”

Dr Scott Bell said, “My prime concern is for the current and future welfare of my children and grandchildren. And as an extension, for all those Australian citizens, our younger generations, who are facing a grave and uncertain future, due to the progressive impacts of the climate catastrophe. A catastrophe worsened by the continuing negligence, inaction, and deflective policies and legislation implemented by those who are our elected leaders, our politicians, both Opposition and Government. The evidence, the data and the science which support my concerns is unequivocal.”

Rev Jeff McKinnon added, “We voted for them and they are letting us down. Their first duty is to protect people. Unwittingly, humanity has declared war on nature. This is a war we cannot win. We need strong, immediate leadership in every nation. The Coalition and other parties must speak up – they must tell the Government it has a duty of care to act urgently to mitigate against the worst of climate change, and to ensure we adapt adequately to what we may not be able to avoid.”

The 3 protesters will deliver the following demands:

We call on our political leaders to take action

The emerging climate emergency has been detailed by many scientific organisations, including the IPPC, over recent decades. Since the last federal election, both the Opposition and Government have been negligent in their weak response to this crisis. The Australian Parliament has failed in its duty of care to protect its people.

We have already asked Senator Wendy Askew  to share our deep concern with her own party and the Government and have suggested a number of strategies – but so far without any action on the part of the LNP Coalition.

Therefore today

Extinction Rebellion Northern Tasmania demands that the Coalition Opposition:

  • publicly call upon the Minister for the Environment, Tanya Plibersek, to immediately implement the recommendations proposed by Professor Samuels in the October 2020 review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act;
  • publicly call upon the Government to immediately release a redacted version of the 2022 ONI Report so the Australian public can see for themselves the assessment of the risk to national security posed by the climate crisis; and
  • publicly announce that it is revising its climate policy to at least match the ALP’s weak carbon emissions reduction goals and strategies.