A letter from LEAN's Campaign Workshop
Brought in by gusts of record-breaking wind, almost 40 intrepid LEAN members from around Australia descended on Canberra on Friday 18 August. Canberra volunteers ferried the hardy participants just over the border to Eagle Hawk in NSW. Destination: the LEAN residential intensive campaign training workshop.
The objective of the workshop was to nut-out LEAN’s new national campaign for 2017 and beyond. Our starting point was to draw inspiration from LEAN’s past campaigning successes, particularly the commitment to 50% renewables by 2030. A key driver of that achievement had been the active involvement of Labor branches around the country. 370 local branches showed their support by passing a motion calling for the party to commit to a target of 50% renewables by 2030. It was this almost unprecedented show of support from grassroots members that assured the victory.
It is now time to bring the force of grassroots advocacy power to another pressing challenge – protecting Australia’s unique environment.
The workshop’s opening panel outlined how Australia’s current law – the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act – is not up to the task. Enacted by the Howard Government 20 years ago, and rounded derided by Labor at the time, the Act is a confusing hodgepodge of regulations and procedures with weak enforcement measures. The Act also fails to mention the most pressing environmental issue of our time: climate change. Hardly surprising, then, that last year’s national State of the Environment Report 2016 shows Australia going backwards on almost every indicator.
It’s time to stop the slide.
LEAN’s national mission is now to secure a new commitment from the ALP. This time, to create new environmental laws that truly protect our precious environment. This includes calling for a Labor Federal Government to establish an independent environmental protector – such as an Environmental Protection Agency, which exists in several other jurisdictions.
LEAN knows the power of Labor's members. So we are again calling on the support of local branches. We are inviting them to learn a little about the inadequacy of our current environmental protections (LEAN has audio-visual resources to share). We are then asking them to pass the motion, which calls upon the ALP to strengthen environmental protections, and send it to the key people outlined in the information leaflet LEAN provides.
As one of the workshop participants said “Australia’s environment laws are taking us backwards. It’s time to clean them up!” If you’re ready to part of the cleaning crew, please contact envirolaws@lean.net.au and join this mission to safeguard our unique environment.