The Greens WA, today, called on the WA Parliament to acknowledge the climate crisis, declare a climate emergency, and note the catastrophic impacts it is having, and will have, on Western Australia and its people.
Instead, the Environment Minister Stephen Dawson moved an amendment to allow the State Government to avoid its responsibility in addressing climate change.
The motion, which called on the house to acknowledge the climate crisis and declare a climate emergency, was amended to acknowledge climate change and to defer all responsibility to the Federal Government.
“This is beyond disappointing, though unfortunately not surprising,” The Greens WA spokesperson for climate change Tim Clifford said.
“The amended motion completely absolved the McGowan Government from taking any responsibility in addressing climate change, despite WA being the only state whose emissions have risen since 2005.
“I’d expect this kind of behaviour from the Liberals who, at a Federal level, have proved totally inadequate at tackling climate change, but from a Labor Government?
“After a passionate speech about how climate change will affect the health, livelihoods, environment, and economies of all Western Australian’s, the Environment Minister proceeded to contradict himself by refusing to acknowledge the most basic and important truths: this is an emergency.
“It marks an absolute low point in the McGowan Labor Government’s continued refusal to take climate change seriously.
“Instead of listening to community, telling the truth and declaring a climate emergency, WA Labor have jumped further into bed with the Liberal Morrison Government, and it’s big polluting corporate donors.
“And each and every member in Legislative Council — except my Greens colleagues and some members of the crossbench — were complicit in this.
“Complicit and willing in the disregard and destruction of our home.
“We are dealing with an emergency situation which has already reached the point of crisis, this must be acknowledged and must be addressed accordingly.”