1. The over-riding pro-life commitment of the DLP compels the party to actively work to prevent the inevitable deaths of billions of humans resulting from unrestrained climate change.

2. The DLP’s economic philosophy that rejects socialism and capitalism are in conflict to its support of the massive trans-national fossil energy corporations.

3. The development of infrastructure projects: the urgent de-carbonising of the economy on a national scale is a massive infrastructure project to dwarf the Snowy Mountains scheme.

4. The decentralisation of power to enable Australia to become energy self-sufficient can only be met by the use of renewables. Mr McCormack's adherence to centralised privatised fossil energy is in direct conflict to  this goal. Look to the former Arrium steel processing plant in Whyalla as an exemplar of heavy industry powered cheaply by renewables.

5. The DLP supports small business against monopolization. Yet the fossil energy corporations are largely foreign-owned, and vastly overwhelm the Australian economy in economic power. Renewables can be owned by individual Australians; and many local communities build, operate and own their renewable energy.

6. Strong support for Australian manufacturing and farming sectors. Urgent decarbonising and drawdown requires localised manufacturing using clean energy, and a revision of agriculture that will result in better soil structure and health, improved water retention, reduced salinity and better quality produce.

7. A regional focus on foreign affairs, including human rights in West Papua. If we don’t address the climate emergency, our Pacific neighbours will be under water!

8. Regional development. If climate change is not arrested, the regions west of the Great Dividing Range will be marginal at best. De-population is  inevitable.

9. Building up defensive capacity. The US military has rated climate change as the greatest threat to national security. Again, I cannot fathom Mr McCormack’s reasoning that, if pursued, would create a security crisis.

10. A social justice approach to asylum seekers and refugees. Climate change has caused higher rates of asylum-seeking. Hundreds of millions of people, many close to Australia, will be displaced by rising sea levels, drought, diseases, storms and floods.

The DLP has strong allegiances to the Catholic Church, yet the Pope has repeatedly condemned those who deny the reality of human-created climate change. 

The DLP has sadly failed a unique opportunity to demonstrate how a socially conservative approach to the climate emergency would work.

Read more

Letters must carry the name, full address and  telephone number of the author. The writer’s name and suburb/town will be published. Letters may be edited for space, accuracy, clarity and legal reasons.  Letters which are deemed inappropriate will not be published.Send letters to Bendigo Advertiser, PO Box 61, Bendigo 3552 or at bendigoadvertiser.com.au

Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.