Australian prime minister plans to outlaw climate activism
Wanneer: 06/11/2019 - 16:42
The Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison just told a room full of mining lobbyists that he's begun work on legislation to outlaw climate activism – banning climate protests, boycotts and "disruptive" strikes.1 It's the most alarming attack we've seen yet – threatening people's right to take action against climate-denying politicians, and corporate climate wreckers.
This dangerous expansion of authoritarian power will restrict farmers who are organising to protect their groundwater from fracking. It will limit Traditional (Indigenous) Owners' efforts to protect their land from gas companies. It could stop the next generation from taking action to save their future – by putting an end to the climate strikes, for good.
Friends, these laws must be defeated. We need to challenge them in Parliament, in committee hearings, and in the High Court if we have to. It's going to take a mammoth effort from lawyers, barristers and policy experts, as well as a coordinated public campaign to protect the rights of climate activists in all their forms.
But even more than that – we need to put an end to Morrison's culture war. And that means beginning the long-term work of working in regional communities, championing local solutions, and building a shared vision of the future we must fight for together.
Can you chip in to a fighting fund to defeat Scott Morrison's authoritarian climate crackdown? Let's put an end to the climate culture war.
The right to protest is baked into the soul of this nation's political history.
It was Australian workers that organised to win the fight for an eight hour day. The path to LGBTIQ equality began with brave people staring down police violence on Oxford Street more than 40 years ago. Native title was only recognised because of a ten year struggle by a determined Meriam man named Mabo.
The DNA of the GetUp movement is found in this long, bold history of people power. And the greatest calling of our generation is the one Morrison is determined to silence – the struggle for a livable planet.
Morrison is cracking down because he's genuinely afraid of our power, mine and yours, when we stand together. But with Morrison actively cultivating support with the powerful mining lobby – it's going to take all of us to win.
This isn't Scott Morrison's democracy – it's yours. Chip in to protect it.
Morrison wants to stoke a culture war that pits jobs against climate action – because the truth is, he doesn't have a plan for either.
But we do, Diet. With your support, here's what we'll do:
• Defeat authoritarian attempts to silence dissent and protest: We need to protect the rights of farmers, workers, first nations communities, and students to take action. This is a fight that'll start in the halls of parliament, but could end in the high court – and we need to be prepared to do whatever is necessary to protect the rights of GetUp members and the broader climate movement.
• Build power and relationships with regional communities: We need to end the culture war that Morrison wants, by listening and building genuine connections with communities that have been neglected by both sides of politics for too long.
• Create a bold new climate strategy, modelled on a Green New Deal: We need to consult with workers, First Nations leaders, and frontline communities and develop a climate strategy that answers their concerns. We need to work with leading researchers to develop solutions that solve the interconnected crises we face: insecure work, inadequate pay, industries in transition, a lack of housing and public infrastructure and climate change.
This is an ambitious agenda against a powerful opposition. But in the face of a prime minister fashioning himself after Trump, determined to take us backwards, this is the cause we must commit ourselves to: to stand together, and fight for our future.
Chip in to send a message to Morrison: we're not going silent, we're growing stronger.
This is a now-or-never moment, calling each of us to action. Please chip in, if you can.
In determination,
Paul Oosting
National Director, GetUp
PS. Morrison's attacking our movement, not because we've done anything wrong – but because we've done so much right. Fighting off these authoritarian attacks could well be a full-time job for GetUp staff, but instead we are busier than ever, working on a new approach to climate campaigning to overcome Morrison's culture war. We simply don't have another option. What we do next will determine the livability of our country, and our planet. Please chip in, if you can.
References:
[1] Scott Morrison accused of attacking democracy over vow to outlaw environmental boycott campaigns, The Telegraph, 3 November 2019.
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GetUp is an independent, not-for-profit community campaigning group. We use new technology to empower Australians to have their say on important national issues. We receive no political party or government funding, and every campaign we run is entirely supported by voluntary donations. If you'd like to contribute to help fund GetUp's work, please donate now!
Our team acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we meet and work. We wish to pay respect to Elders - past, present and emerging - and acknowledge the important role all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to play within Australia and the GetUp community.
Authorised by Paul Oosting, GetUp Ltd, Level 14, 338 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000.
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Outrageous attack on climate, democracy, freedom of speech and civil society
Selfish. Extreme. Radical.
These are the words Prime Minister Scott Morrison used to describe the sort of campaigning Market Forces does to protect the environment. This is what he thinks of people like you, using your rights as a customer to have a say over how the banks, super funds and other companies with custody of our money invest it.
It was the first shot fired in an outrageous attack on the climate, our democracy, freedom of speech and civil society in general. And Market Forces has been singled out repeatedly. In the words of the Attorney General:
There are a growing number of examples where we have seen radical activist groups like Market Forces that try and impose their political will on companies across the country through widespread, coordinated harassment and threats of boycotts.
There has never been a more important time to show your support for the right to campaign for action on climate change. Please help us fight back.
Let's fight back
In the six years Market Forces has been running, this is the biggest threat we’ve ever faced. That threat is about much more than Market Forces, or even the environment movement, as core democratic rights are at stake here. Freedom of speech, the right to protest and the ability for consumers to make informed decisions about who they do business with are on the line here.
The government’s attempts to shut us down show we’re doing something right. Since we started working in 2013 we’ve been part of campaigns that have shifted billions of dollars out of fossil fuels from superannuation funds and off the loan books of major banks. We’ve got major institutions like Commonwealth Bank and our big three insurance companies committing to be out of coal by 2030 at the latest, and we’re helping to amass a list of companies that won’t support the disastrous Adani coal project - so far it’s more than 60!
The Morrison Government sees it too - they see that the number of financial institutions walking away from fossil fuels is growing. The number of companies ending working with Adani is growing. And the number of people like you, telling your banks, super funds and other companies to dump fossil fuels is growing, and our impact as a movement grows with it.
We’ve never faced such a serious threat to our ability to campaign for climate action - and such a dangerous attack on our rights too.
We urgently need to fight back, for the sake of our environment and our democratic rights. Please show your support - we’ve never needed it more. And if you want to go one step further please donate to our fossil fuel fighting fund.
Thanks so much for standing with us,
Julien, on behalf of Market Forces