The ALP National Platform is important. As ALP President Wayne Swan says, it "sits at the heart of our Party and speaks loudly with a Labor voice about the kind of Australia we believe in."

Submissions to the 2020 draft Labor National Platform are open and as with everything in 2020, COVID means it will be a slightly different process as there is no National Conference this year. But we are hoping you might take the time to make a submission.

The platform is not a policy document, instead it is the values and principles that underpin ALP policy. And the environment chapter is pretty good, it tells of Labor’s commitment to maximizing Australia’s economic opportunity offered by becoming a low carbon economy, utilising our huge renewable energy resources to build industries and create jobs, you can check it out here. However there are key ways it can be strengthened.

As you know, LEAN only changes the Labor party when you lend your support to our calls for stronger climate change and environment policy. So please make a submission today!

These are the key amendments LEAN believes should be made. We’d love you to back them:  

• Commitment to create an independent Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), to improve environmental outcomes with expert science-based advice and delivery of compliance and enforcement. In 2018, together we won the campaign for environment laws with teeth and a federal EPA. Over 500 party units supported the campaign. The EPA needs to be in the Platform, front and centre.
• An explicit commitment to setting medium term emission reduction targets - to makes sure we deliver the goal of net zero emissions by 2050.
• Commitment to assessment of greenhouse gas impacts of new fossil fuel developments to inform decision making and strengthened rights for Indigenous people​ on the development of their lands​.
• No public subsidy for ​new ​fossil fuel developments or related infrastructure.

LEAN also supports union negotiations to ensure communities impacted by shifting global energy markets are backed by regional diversification bodies that are locally led, include unions, industry and community voices and are powered by government investment.

LEAN is advocating for a raft of other amendments to strengthen the Platform. The natural environment section is good but requires some reorganization to reflect the Labor legacy and its strong framework for environment protection.

Click here to see LEAN's full Submission Guide with the full suite of amendments we’d like your support for. Please take 10 minutes to lend your voice to a stronger, more environmentally positive ALP.  

Submissions can be made at https://www.alp.org.au/platform-consultation-draft/ You'll need to fill you personal details, tick the box for Chapter 3 (Climate Change and Environment) and attach a Word or PDF document. The deadline is November 30.