Greens candidate to show climate colours

By Melissa Donchi
STEVE Meacher has been preselected as the Greens Candidate for McEwen and will go head to head with local MP Fran Bailey over climate change at this year’s Federal election.
Mr Meacher has lived in the McEwen district for 12 years and recently helped establish a local climate change group, C4 Healesville.
“The continuing refusal of the Australian Government to take effective action to avoid dangerous climate change was of such concern to me that I decided I needed to take a more active role,” Mr Meacher said.
“One way or another it is going to hit all of us unless we take the chance we have at this year’s election to demand that prompt and effective action is taken.”
Mr Meacher said that a recent CSIRO report indicated that the McEwen electorate was likely to experience temperature increases of two degrees Celsius and a 20 per cent decrease in rainfall by 2070 unless action was taken to reduce carbon emissions.
“Together with expected erratic weather and more frequent and severe droughts and bushfires, the consequences for our homes, farms and forests are likely to be severe,” Mr Meacher said.
“This is a future we must avoid if we can and I believe we can if we make the right choices now.”
Mr Meacher said while climate change was key, it was not the only issue.
“The Greens are not a single issue party,” Mr Meacher said.
“We are committed to the repeal of John Howard’s unfair industrial relations laws, we are committed to ensure each child is able to afford a quality education, to ensure no-one – irrespective of income – misses out on essential health care, and that all Australians have access to affordable housing.”
The next C4 meeting will be held on 24 July at 346 Badger Creek Road. For more details call Steve Meacher on 5962 9008.