Watch Zali Steggall Use Her Maiden Speech To Slam Parliament’s Inaction On The Climate Crisis
"I refuse to be part of the generation that had all of the facts, but failed to take meaningful action."
Zali Steggall gave her maiden speech in Parliament today, and it’s safe to say her presence in Parliament is going to be the total opposite of Tony Abbott’s. The new member for Warringah used her moment in the spotlight to call for Parliament to finally behave like adults, and take action on the climate crisis — pointing out that literal children are handling the crisis better than the government right now.
“I believe Australia has always punched above its weight, and has never shied away from a challenge or doing its share,” Steggall said. “We live in a time where we are facing possibly our biggest challenge to date: to properly appreciate, respect and nurture our environment, and evolve to a zero carbon economy.”
“Our school kids are leading the way in pointing out that there is no second planet, no ‘planet B’. The government’s own report tells us our emissions are still rising, and even our school kids know that we’re not heading in the right direction.”
“I’ve listened to many here talk of their love for their families and children, and their hopes for their futures, and their communities’ futures. When we and our children are sick we trust in doctors and the science to heal them. Many scientists from independent and varied fields of study have all come to the conclusion that we must reduce our carbon emissions to have a hope of averting the worst consequences of climate change.”
“Australia, especially in regional areas, is vulnerable to those consequences, and will experience higher than average warming, leading to more severe weather events, droughts and floods, bushfires to hurricanes. This will devastate productivity and way of life, regionally and nationally.”
Steggall then delivered the kind of blunt wake-up call this Parliament really needs right now. “History does not look kindly on leaders who fail to properly prepare a nation for the challenge ahead,” she said. “Climate change impacts represent the greatest threat to our national security, our economy, our health and our environment. The cost of inaction is so great; it’s unthinkable that a Coalition government-driven with ideals of reducing national debt would consider burdening future generations with the greatest debt ever.”
“It is time to act on this with bipartisanship. Australian diversity, inventiveness and can-do culture has served us well, and will continue to do so. By recognising the industries of the future and investing in emerging clean technologies, we can provide jobs for regional Australia, and ensure we are a 21st-century clean energy superpower.”
“We have the most abundant natural resources in the world, and the innovation and ingenuity to develop them. This Parliament has the opportunity to provide the road map and transition plan, to be ambitious and to lead the way.”
“I firmly believe that we are all, as individuals, accountable for our decisions and actions. Our time is precious, and limited. Like many people in Warringah, and all over Australia, I refuse to be part of the generation that had all of the facts, but failed to take meaningful action.”
It’s a pity only a handful of government MPs were actually in the chamber to hear her speak — they could have used the insights. You can watch a clip from the speech below.
Here's @zalisteggall shouting out @StrikeClimate in her maiden speech, and calling for the adults in the room to get it together and take action on the climate crisis #auspol pic.twitter.com/XLPBQe3UkT
— sam langford (@_slangers) July 24, 2019