Meeting with Peter Khalil MP on climate action
May 14, 2018 at 11:23 pm John Englart 1 comment
On May 1st, 2018 a delegation of four from Climate Action Moreland met with our Federal MP for Wills, Peter Khalil to talk about Labor Party policy and action on climate change. This report is based on our talking points.
Need for strong climate action not evident in PK’s public statements.
- Private statements on Adani, climate emergency etc need to be backed up with regular social media posts. In last 12 months, there have been hardly any mentions from PK of climate change and renewables (and nothing on energy efficiency). We request weekly social media posts, and regular mentions of climate issues in newsletter.
This was disputed by Peter. - In Dec 2016, Peter Khalil promised two public meetings on climate policy in Moreland for 2017. These have has still not occurred. To compensate, MEFL and CAM organised public meeting in Feb 2018. Peter Khalil agreed to speak but cancelled. We request public meeting on climate change in the next six months, with CAM to provide a speaker.
Energy efficiency needs strong emphasis.
Labor’s current energy efficiency policy is weak. It is the LAST point in Labor’s climate policies. Yet energy efficiency should be the first priority. Building renewables to supply an inefficient system wastes resources and money. Energy efficiency typically achieves emissions reductions at negative cost. Due to barriers, strong government regulations are generally required to capture savings.
Labor’s policy is weak enough so that major business groups are “fully supportive”. Current target is expressed in terms of energy productivity – hence much is achieved merely through the shift from energy intensive industry to services. We need strong targets for each sector.
Households have high emissions and high bills because of poor performing homes and equipment, and poor public transport. We request that Peter Khalil publicly advocate for:
- Minimum energy performance standards for rental properties.
- Much stronger building energy standards particularly for summer. Mandate cross-ventilation of all new apartments, and remove barriers to sustainability initiatives.
- Vastly increased targets for Victorian Energy Upgrades program and MEPS.
- Low interest loans for households to upgrades homes and appliances.
- Legislate to prevent electricity distributors running at excessive voltage (which drives up emission, damages equipment and hinders solar PV connection).
- Increase frequency and range of public transport in outer suburbs and regions.
Oppose new fossil fuel proposals and rapid phase out of export
Labor still has no policy to phase out fossil fuel exports. We trust our local member is lobbying for this in the Labor Party. It is very concerning that Labor is promoting new fossil fuel projects. We ask that Peter Khalil publicly oppose the following proposals, both of which have high emissions
- La Trobe Valley brown coal to hydrogen. (No CCS proposed for pilot. CCS is unproven)
- Resumption of fracking in NT. (This alone would increase Australia’s emissions by 5%)
We have left or sent you the following:
- CLIMATE REALITY CHECK. After Paris counting the cost (May 2016)
https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/148cb0_9c80333f46ec4da8a2e8d7ba41886df6.pdf - DISASTER ALLEY. Climate Change, Conflict & Risk (Jun 21, 2017)
https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/148cb0_8c0b021047fe406dbfa2851ea131a146.pdf - WHAT LIES BENEATH. The Scientific Understatement Of Climate Risks (Sep 07,
2017)Click to access 148cb0_56b252a7d78b485badde2fadcba88d00.pdf
Lofoten Declaration. Climate Leadership Requires a Managed Decline of Fossil
Fuel Production (43 Australian organisations have signed)
http://www.lofotendeclaration.org/ - Bringing Rental Homes up to Scratch (Environment Victoria September 2017) https://environmentvictoria.org.au/2017/09/27/bringing-rental-homes-scratch/
What are your thoughts on these?
Entry filed under: Adani, Energy efficiency, news, Policy, Politician education. Tags: Peter Khalil, Wills.
Climate Action Merribek: people in Brunswick, Coburg, Fawkner and Glenroy wanting action on climate change 
1.
Phil Jackson | May 18, 2018 at 9:10 pm
Thanks CAM,
I appreciate you getting this meeting and pressing our representative on these issues. There is so much to be done and not nearly progress being made.