Media release – Extinction Rebellion, 24 November 2023

4 climate activists arrested at office of Brian Mitchell MHR Lyons at 4.30 today, Friday 24th November

4 arrested:  Deb Lynch, Helen Hutchinson, Laura McKew, Scott Bell. They are now at the police station; it is anticipated that they will be charged with trespass and bailed.

Helen Hutchinson summarised her reasons for civil disobedience in a letter 30th October (see below). It stated,

“The questions I want the Prime Minister to answer are these:

1.     As our present strategy is not working, and will not work in the short time we now have available, will your government legislate a target of reducing Australia’s carbon dioxide emissions by 10% per year, each year, until we reach near zero?

2.     Will your government immediately stop all fossil fuel subsidies so that the money spent on this, $11.6 billion in 2021-2022*, can go towards supporting renewable infrastructure?

As I told you, I do appreciate that this government was left a huge challenge after the mess made by the Morrison-led government but it’s a challenge that isn’t won by moving slowly.  Moving slowly when time is running out is failing.

Mr Albanese said that he would act according to the science during the election campaign.  The science has moved on but your government has not.

It’s time.”

On Thursday 23 November 2023 Minister Bowen admitted that the Australian government was not on track to meet its renewable target by 2030. In addition:

  • The government is not on track to meet its emission reduction target (and this is insufficient anyway)
  • The government is not on track to meet its emission reduction target either.
  • 2030, or possibly 2035, is the new target date to have reduced emission to near zero above our safe climate level.
  • There is no sense of urgency while the government is still allowing new fossil fuel projects and still giving subsidies to fossil fuels while the country is getting hotter and hotter.
  • The danger is in neglecting the extremes of climate events which are the ones that cause the most damage and they are happening every day
  • We have already had days over 2 degC above our safe heating level
  • We are running out of time.

Surely someone in the government can connect the dots so that we have stronger action on reducing our emissions as well as encouraging renewable energy and machines using renewable fuels. And this is only a third of what we have to do.

We also need to draw down the extra carbon we emit every day.

We need to somehow cool the earth to prevent it turning to desert.

Every day we delay it becomes harder to do, every hour is critical, every minutes is critical. Please ask Twiggy Forrest what to do if you have run out of ideas, or Julia Gillard, who is the only Labor Prime Minister who has actually reduced emissions and she led a minority government!

Brian, use your voice to protect your voters, not to put them in danger.

Will you ask the Prime Minister to stop subsidising the burning of the fossil fuel?

Will you ask the Prime Minister to set an emission reduction target of 10% p.a. every year to reach near zero within the next decade or sooner?