Following the warmest April on record,
ferocious storms lash the east coast of Australia. You would think
climate change in action would be an election circuit breaker. But it's
not, writes Peter Lewis.
 |
| Will storms that hit the east coast of Australia wash away climate change complacency? (Supplied: Jakob ze Zwart) |
After sweltering through the warmest April on record, followed by the strange desert conditions of May, only the most ardent deniers are sticking to the line that it's only a normal fluctuation.
Climate change in action must surely be an election circuit breaker.
Except it's not. According to this week's Essential Report there are still 28 per cent of the population who class themselves in the "business as usual".
Do you believe that there is fairly conclusive evidence that climate change is happening and caused by human activity or do you believe that the evidence is still not in and we may just be witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth's climate which happens from time to time?
Total
|
Vote Labor
|
Vote Lib/Nat
|
Vote Greens
|
Vote other
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climate change is happening and is caused by human activity |
59%
|
69%
|
45%
|
91%
|
57%
|
| We are just witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth's climate |
28%
|
18%
|
42%
|
6%
|
35%
|
| Don't know |
13%
|
13%
|
12%
|
3%
|
9%
|
This result is actually trending higher than in recent years with belief in the science as low 45 per cent in the wake of the 2010 Federal election.
What is striking about the week's storms is that it has to date failed to spark the tepid political non-debate around climate change that has been nothing more than a footnote to this election.
To date discussion of climate change has been limited to a proof-point for the Prime Minister's character by critics who see a gap between his pre-coup rhetoric and his performance as national leader.
Meanwhile, Labor doesn't seem to have the stomach for another campaign where they are positioned as the custodians of a "big new tax on everything" and prefer instead to focus on picture opps for renewable investment - which is the safe way to engage with the issue.
And if the responses to this week's Essential Report are a guide, that's not about to change soon.
When asked to rate their top three election issues, just 13 per cent of voters can find space for "addressing climate change".
Which are the three most important issues in deciding how you would vote at a federal election?
Ensuring the quality of Australia's health system
|
49%
|
|---|---|
| Management of the economy |
44%
|
| Australian jobs and protection of local industries |
34%
|
| Ensuring a quality education for all children |
28%
|
| Ensuring a fair taxation system |
26%
|
| Security and the war on terrorism |
19%
|
| Housing affordability |
18%
|
| Protecting the environment |
13%
|
| Addressing climate change |
13%
|
| Political leadership |
11%
|
| A fair industrial relations system |
8%
|
| Controlling interest rates |
8%
|
And when asked which party voters would trust to handle the issue the big winner is neither side - with 40 per cent nominating "don't know" followed by Labor on 35 and the Liberals on 25 per cent.
Why the silence? Here's a clue.
When we asked for SBS News whether voters want to hear more or less on the subject, there is not a huge appetite for more detail, especially compared with other policy issues.
Between now and the election do you want to hear more or less about the parties' policies on any of the following issues?
| Want to hear more | Want to hear less | No opinion | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Same sex marriage |
30%
|
38%
|
32%
|
| Education funding |
59%
|
16%
|
26%
|
| Housing affordability |
57%
|
15%
|
27%
|
| Protecting the environment |
50%
|
23%
|
27%
|
| The NBN |
40%
|
27%
|
33%
|
| Renewable energy |
59%
|
18%
|
23%
|
| Taxation |
56%
|
18%
|
26%
|
| Immigration |
41%
|
32%
|
28%
|
| Creating employment |
62%
|
14%
|
24%
|
| Health and Medicare |
70%
|
11%
|
19%
|
| Climate change |
44%
|
31%
|
25%
|
| Managing the economy |
61%
|
15%
|
24%
|
We want to understand health and education, jobs and the economy; but when it comes to climate change most of us aren't up for any more detail.
So what's going on?
My take is that climate change has become the debate that has been run and re-run until we have given up hope that there is any prospect of government of any stripe doing anything meaningful to shift the compass.
With the major parties are both committed to neutralising the issue, there is no point of engagement and even when climate becomes the news they focus on the giant waves, rather than showing any appetite to make them.
Meanwhile, the Greens are focused on killing the coal industry in a play that it is bold and ambitious - and largely ignored by the voting public.
Which leaves us with the question at the heart of this long and increasingly eerie election campaign: who are we voting for? People who are so committed to giving us what we want, that they're actually not what we want at all.
Peter Lewis is a director of Essential Media Communications (EMC), a public affairs and research company specialising in campaigning for progressive social and political organisations.
Links
- Climate Change: Almost Half Of Australia Is Still Ignorant Or Confused, New Poll Reveals
- Wild weather: Climate change's role in eastern Australia's storms
- East coast storm: Scientists want erosion monitoring to deal with impacts of climate change
- Vote Compass: Australians back carbon pricing, want more action on climate change
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