Climate Action Merribek: people in Brunswick, Coburg, Fawkner and Glenroy wanting action on climate change

Pascoe Vale candidates support climate emergency declaration #Vicvotes2022

November 10, 2022 at 9:44 pm John Englart 1 comment

Candidates | Forums | Scorecards | Upper House | Climate Emergency Declarations | Forest Pledges

The 2022 State election date is Saturday November 26.

The electoral roll closes 8pm 8 November (Enrol to vote), candidate nominations close on 11 November. Early voting starts 14 November. We are asking all candidates to sign the Climate Emergency Declaration as the Victorian parliament has not declared a climate emergency. Although declaration of a climate emergency is a symbolic act, it starts the process of systemic change in ramping up climate action in address the climate crisis that can clearly be seen in multiple extreme weather disasters now happening around the world. The Victorian Floods in the last month and the 2019/20 black summer bushfires and the weeks of smoke that smothered our city highlight the problems.

Merri-bek Council adopted the climate emergency in September 2018. In November 2018 the Climate Change and Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio signed a climate Emergency Declaration. Six of Eight Pascoe Vale candidates supported a climate emergency in 2018.

The Pascoe Vale district now includes the suburbs of Coburg, Coburg North, Pascoe Vale, Pascoe Vale South and some of north West Brunswick. Not sure where you fit? You can check here: https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/electoral-boundaries/state-districts/pascoe-vale-district

Climate Emergency Declarations

In the Pascoe Vale electorate those who have so far signed or supported a climate emergency declaration include:

• Margee Glover (Reason Party)
• Anthony Cianflone (Labor)
• Madaleine Hah (Victorian Socialists)
• Angelica Panopoulos (Greens)
• Sue Bolton (Socialist Alliance)
• Leah Horsfall (upper House candidate – Animal Justice)

Candidates

Candidates who have nominated:

• Elizabeth Adams (Animal Justice Party). Climate Survey PascoeValeVotes2022-ElizabethAdams-AnimalJustice
• Sue Bolton (Socialist Alliance). Climate Survey
• Anthony Cianflone (ALP). Climate Survey PascoeValeVotes2022-Anthony-Cianflone-ALP (22 Nov – statement)
• Richard Cimbaro (Family First).
• Margee Glover (Reason Party). Climate Survey PascoeValeVotes2022-Margee-Glover-ReasonParty
• Madaleine Hah (Victorian Socialists). Climate Survey
• Angelica Panopoulos (The Greens). Climate Survey PascoeValeVotes2022-Angelica-Panopoulos-Greens
• Tom Wright (Liberal). Climate Survey

Forums

Climate and Sustainability Forum Organised by Climate Action Merribek, Neighbours United for Climate Action, Coburg Uniting Church, Newlands Friends of the Forest.

When: Wednesday 9 November. 6.30pm for 7pm start

Where: Coburg Court House, 1a Main Street, Coburg (short walk from Coburg Station)

Left to Right: Sue Bolton (Socialist Alliance), Anthony Cianflone (ALP), Margee Glover (Reason Party), Imogen Jubb (Chair), Madaleine Hah (Victorian Socialists), Leah Horsfall (Animal Justice) and Northern Metro candidate in place of local candidate Elizabeth Drake, Angelica Panopoulos (Greens).

Liberal candidate Tom Wright did not respond to our invite. Family First candidate Richard Cimbaro we only found out had nominated on the day of the forum.

Pascoe Vale Online Transport Forum

As the MTF forum on Transport was very focussed on the Brunswick District, Bicycle Users Group members have organised a forum for Pascoe Vale candidates.

The forum was on walking, cycling and public transport and was held on Zoom on Wednesday October 26th at 7pm, with the aim of making it accessible as possible to as many people as possible. . 

Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/25GxSNRXV

Forest Pledge to stop Logging by at least 2024

This is an ACF North by Northwest activity asking candidates to sign this pledge. More may be added to this list.

Candidates who signed the Forest Pledge to end logging by 2024 included:

• Leah Horsfall (Upper House – Animal Justice – attending representing Elizabeth Drake)
• Madaleine Hah (Victorian Socialists)
• Margee Glover (Reason Party)
• Angelica Panopoulos (Greens)
• Sue Bolton (Socialist Alliance)

Photos from Climate and Sustainability Forum

Scorecards:

Climate One has done a Traffic Light assessment of candidates in Pascoe Vale on climate issues.

Transport Scorecard

The Public Transport Users Association have published a Transport Scorecard comparing the transport promises of Labor, Liberal and The Greens, with fottnote mention of other parties such as Transport Matters and Reason Party. – Transport Scorecard

Cycling Scorecard

Merri-bek Bicycle User Group has sent a survey to PascoeVale candidates. As of 22 November Responses (in order of when the survey was submitted):

• Margee Glover (Reason)
• Angelica Panopoulos (Greens)
• Sue Bolton (Socialist Alliance)

The Victorian Cycling Strategy 2018-2028 provides a strong guide for improving bike conditions across the state. However, achieving goals such as 25% of all trips by foot or bike by 2050, means a significant investment is needed in new active transport infrastructure. UN recommends 20% of transport budget should be on active transport. Victoria is under 1%.
Bicycle Network Election Commitment Tracker…

Clean Energy Scorecard

Very detailed scorecard on energy by Environment Victoria election. This Clean Energy for All Policy Tracker reveals the best and worst climate policies on offer, Comparing Labor, Liberals and the Greens.

Logging Native Forests Scorcard

In Vicvotes, Where do the parties stand on logging? FoE Melbourne have the answers in this Scorecard, that also assesses the minor parties and some Independent candidates. Stopping Native Forest Logging in Victoria could save 3 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year, 14 million tonnes by 2030.

Victorian Forests Alliance has identified where Victorian Election candidates in certain electorates stand on ending logging in native forests. The general Scorcard for the 3 main parties – Greens, Labor and Liberal

Upper House (Legislative Council)

Our climate survey was sent out to some lead candidates:

Jerome Small (Victorian Socialists) Climate Survey – No response
Sheena Watt (Labor) Climate Survey – No Response
Samantha Ratnam (Greens) Climate Survey – NorthernMetroVotes2022-SamanthaRatnam-Greens
Leah Horsfall (Animal Justice) Climate Survey – NorthernMetroVotes2022-LeahHorsfall-AnimalJustice
Evan Mulholland (Liberal) – Climate Survey – No Response
Fiona Patten (Reason Party) – Climate Survey – NorthernMetroVotes2022-FionaPatten-ReasonParty

Friends Don’t Let Friends Vote Above the Line

Victoria is the only Australian jurisdiction still using Group Voting tickets for the Legislative Council election. This is where you can vote 1 above the line or number candidates below the line. If you vote 1 above the line, the party allocates your preferences according to a registered group voting ticket.

Minor parties have learnt to use this by tightly swapping preferences and bargaining with major parties for their preferences. The deals often reach across different regions. Group Voting Tickets has resulted in the rise of preference whispering, in which a person sets up deals between different micro parties to swap preferences, for a substantial fee of course. Ben Raue of The Tally Room recommends that Friends Don’t let Friends vote above the Line.

Voting below the line is easy: “You simply need to number 1 to 5 on your ballot, and then number as many extra boxes as you wish. As long as your first 5 numbers are unique and sequential, your vote is formal.” says Raue.

However to maximise preferences you should continue numbering candidates. For an effective climate vote below the line, number as many parties as possible, best to worst (all candidates). Download the Vote Climate Northern Metro scorecard (PDF)

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Poster of the Pascoe Vale Climate and Sustainability candidates forum:

Entry filed under: Climate Emergency, election, Vote Climate. Tags: Climate Emergency, Forest Pledge, PascoeValevotes, vicvotes, Vicvotes2022, voteclimate, voteforests.