Coker and Butler pledge strong green stance from Labor

A PAIR of federal Labor MPs promised at a forum in Torquay last week that their party will continue to have strong stances on both the environment and opposing the Coalition’s policies.

Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy Mark Butler and Corangamite federal member Libby Coker hosted the “Politics in the Pub” event on October 8 at the Torquay Bowls Club, which drew a crowd of about 100 people.

Federal Labor is reviewing all of its policies in the wake of its unexpected loss at the May election.

“When you get your backside handed to you by Fozzie Bear and Kermit the Frog, you do have to think very carefully about how you campaigned, the sorts of policy detail you put out,” Mr Butler said.

“It would be wrong of us not to engage in a very comprehensive, unsparing review of everything we did in the lead-in to the election.

“But I want to assure you that from Anthony Albanese down there is an utterly unshakeable commitment to continuing to take the fight up to the government, and to advocate for strong, ambitious climate action that is consistent with the advice we are receiving pretty much every week now.”

“Together, we will be fighting to make sure Labor has a very robust climate policy,” Ms Coker added.

Mr Butler was applauded for his response to a question about a petition to federal Parliament about declaring a climate emergency, noting that “from our point of view, whether or not this is an emergency is not in debate – the window is closing for us globally”.

“There’s no way this government will have a debate on climate emergency, but it is an emergency.”

But the loudest applause of the night followed a question from Ocean Grove’s Ged Thompson, who said Labor in Parliament “were having the most uninspiring performances I’ve ever seen”.

“Why aren’t you fighting louder, harder, tougher, rougher?”

In reply, Mr Butler said Mr Albanese had “held the show together when it could have busted apart” like it did after the 2001 and 2004 election losses.

“Yes, I know there’s frustration at the speed at which we’re regrouping… all I can say is I hear you.”