Illawarra residents will head to the polls in a little over five weeks to decide who will represent them in federal parliament.
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Ahead of the federal election on May 21, the Mercury is asking candidates in the Gilmore electorate questions on the issues that readers have identified as the most important to them.
One of these issues is climate change.
The questions the Mercury put to the candidates were:
- How is climate change impacting the Illawarra? How will you address the impact if you are elected?
- What are your views on the role Port Kembla plays in the environment?
- What role do you see fossil fuels playing in the Illawarra's future?
You can read the candidates' responses below.
The Illawarra and Shoalhaven, like any part of Regional Australia is feeling the impacts of climate change.
In 2019 and 2020, when I was the State Member for Bega, my community was hit by firestorms that were the largest in the worlds history. I never ever want to see a repeat of this.
If I'm elected, I am going fight for better responses from Government to natural disasters, action on climate, better land management practices, environmental protection and bushfire mitigation.
I will also continue to fight for the use of innovation and better reuse of the world's natural resources. I support a circular economy for our region and back new technologies being manufactured here such as zero emission buses. Zero emission buses are being manufactured in Australia right now and converting 8,000 buses from diesel to electric means more manufacturing opportunities and jobs in the Shoalhaven.
Port Kembla has the capacity and ability to be a hydrogen and green steel powerhouse and hopefully we will see that transpire in the future, because a Morrison Government is investing more than $22 billion in low emissions technologies like clean hydrogen and green steel this decade.
Did not respond.
Did not respond.
We know that climate change is creating more extreme weather events. My electorate of Gilmore has been ground zero for those events over the last three years. Since 2019, I've stood alongside my community as we've suffered through bushfires, drought, and floods.
Labor's Powering Australia Plan will reduce Australia's emissions to net zero by 2050, create new jobs and cut power bills. We will invest $24 billion in upgrading our electricity grid and investing in emissions reductions technology.
Under our plan, we will create 604,000 new jobs with 5 out of 6 of those jobs being created in regions like the South Coast. We will also cut power bills by $275 in 2025 and $378 in 2030.
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