Introduction by Croakey: Since December last year, public health leader Professor Melissa Haswell has been hitting the hustings in her Queensland electorate of Dickson in support of a local Community Independent, Ellie Smith.
Below, Haswell explains why she is engaging so determinedly on the political frontlines ahead of the 3 May federal election.
Melissa Haswell writes:
It was a strange feeling in 2016, when I moved from Sydney to a beautiful quiet place surrounded by tree-covered mountains near Brisbane.
Within the first month here (too soon to vote), I watched Peter Dutton win the seat of my new electorate of Dickson in Queensland.
He was already well known for being the only frontbencher to walk out of the Apology to the Stolen Generations in 2008. Despite his verbal apology 17 years later, his actions since then have only further laid bare to me his extreme, aggressive and divisive stripes as he clawed his way to Liberal Party leadership, undermining so many steps of Parliament towards a positive future for our nation.
Having known the deep privilege of working side by side with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people since 1996, Dutton’s betrayal on support for the Voice to Parliament referendum and propagation of lies to confuse and scare people are still the rawest of many assaults on my values.
Over the next two elections, 2019 and 2022, we watched with grief as Australia’s reputation on climate change policy and action plummeted from high during the Gillard/ Rudd years – to rock bottom over the Abbott/Turnbull/Morrison and first Albanese years.
The Liberal Party leader has revealed indifference and hostility to anything that would limit gas production, improve reporting or reduce greenhouse gas emissions, even to the detriment of the economy.
In sharp contrast, Labor speaks comparatively clearly about the dangers of climate change with net zero targets and some energetic domestic emissions’ improvements through renewable energy development.
Some policies of both Labor and the LNP might help us deal with some health consequences of climate change, like affordable housing and healthcare.
But the Climate and Health Alliance scorecard argues so much more is needed, finding the Greens’ policies much more comprehensive.
Out of sight
However, what Labor politicians keep nicely out of public view (they like things to look like they are serious on climate action) is the fact that the vast majority, close to 80 percent, of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions is not in our domestic energy consumption, but in our fossil fuel production for export to other countries. Labor’s policies and actions in that space are scarcely distinguishable from the Liberals.
That means the domestic transition to renewables, which gets all the election attention, is great for us to feel good about, but does next to nothing to reduce Australia’s major contribution to accelerating climate change and to protect our children’s future.
As CSIRO reports, about 90 percent of the world’s carbon emissions comes from the burning of fossil fuels, and most of Australia’s emissions also comes from energy production [for export], followed by transport, agriculture, and industrial processes.
Australia currently takes no responsibility for the 1.15 billion tonnes of CO2 emitted from the burning of our exported coal and gas overseas.
In fact, the Albanese Government has approved ten coal mine expansions, extensive growth of coal seam gas wells in Queensland and shown clear support for a new shale gas industry in the NT and Western Australia.
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has avoided announcing her decision on the North West Shelf gas project which would emit a company-estimated 4.3 billion tonnes (Greenpeace estimates 6 billion tonnes) of greenhouse gases from offshore gas extraction pristine coral reefs and gas processing and LNG production in Western Australia. And this would be directly adjacent to the ancient rock art precinct of Murujuga on the Burrup Peninsula.
Dutton said a Liberal Government would fast track the project within 30 days should the Coalition win the election – Plibersek retorted that his premature announcement might tie up progression of the project in legal challenges as he cut through legislated regulations.
Neither side seems to be particularly disturbed about the obscene carbon emissions of this project in the face of urgent reductions required to prevent catastrophic climate change that will bring devastation and despair to the lives of our future generations.
Eyes opened
Since 2023, my eyes have been opened by new experiences I’ve had inside federal Parliament.
My experience alerting MPs and the Middle Arm Senate Inquiry about the health costs of the oil and gas/LNG industry caused me more disillusionment than hope about both major parties’ desire to understand and protect what matters most to people.
It was surreal to witness Senators from both major parties singing from the same songsheet.
No matter how strong the evidence of likely harm to health, climate, environment, to marine life and cultural heritage, or how extreme the hazardous air pollutant emissions already were from existing LNG facilities, and how dubious the monitoring, proposed carbon capture and storage and offsets were to reduce its huge greenhouse gas emissions – support for federal funding for the Middle Arm precinct appeared preordained by both Labor and Liberal participating Senators.
However, I am comforted by the outstanding contributions of the crossbench, particularly Community Independent MP Dr Monique Ryan and Senator David Pocock, Senator Lidia Thorpe and the Greens in bringing evidence up front, and placing health and life above profit on fossil fuel projects.
I believe in their motivations and ways of working to bring in evidence, bring the community along so that knowledge is shared, and make decisions that bring us much closer to the best we can be.
Quite different from most Independents in Australia’s past, Community Independents use community development principles to guide their actions. They are not shackled to party politics and restrictions – they are funded and powered by, therefore accountable to, their communities.
Choosing hope
Without a strong crossbench in our new government to point out the truth of the serious situation we are in and the urgency for real change – (needed yesterday not tomorrow) – we are likely to see Australia further decline in taking responsibility for our true contribution to climate change and fail in our duty of care for future generations.
That’s why I put my hope into the Community Independent movement and the amazing candidates who are running – not for self-aggrandisement, but because they have to.
In the critically important electorate of Dickson, the one with the most power for positive change, we have Community Independent Ellie Smith.
It is not easy to mount a realistic campaign in an electorate like Dickson, where an incumbent has held the seat for 24 years. In 2022, for the second time the Labor candidate Ali France polled well with preferences but fell short of winning by just 1.7 percent.
But Dickson has changed significantly over the last few years.
Smith’s growing broad and enthusiastic appeal is palpable to her 500-plus registered volunteers across the electorate who’ve been busy for months waving at roadsides, doorknocking, installing corflutes, handing out flyers, attending events and attending pre-polling.
Positive and enthusiastic responses are being received right across communities in the Dickson electorate. The mood on the street is clearly mistrust of both major parties and readiness for someone new who is strong, capable and not wedded to party politics.
I suspect some academics and pollsters are applying outdated methods and missing the transformation and the unpredictability of preferences. The startling surge of Independents in 2022 and the uncharted decline of the duopoly should make all predictors cautious, since in a changed world, the future may not reflect the past.
As we’ve watched and heard the increased frequencies of roadside beeps and waves and positive feedback in doorknocking and at shopping centres, the 500-strong volunteer team is hopeful that Dickson will choose Ellie Smith to represent us.
Community connections
On her website, Smith, explains her background:
“After graduating with Honours in Environmental Management from the University of Queensland, I built my career in policy, government and stakeholder relations. Over the past decade, I’ve helped farmers, policymakers, and conservationists find common ground and smart solutions that benefit all Queenslanders. I‘ve also held board roles for a number of environmental organisations.
“These experiences showed me the power of locals working together to achieve great things, and gave me the strong policy and negotiation skills I will bring as your independent candidate for Dickson.”
Smith also describes her community connections, living at Camp Mountain since 2017, and as “a proud soccer mum and school P&C volunteer”.
“Becoming a mum deepened my drive to leave a liveable planet for future generations by protecting the natural beauty of our creeks and bushland – home to our precious koalas and other wildlife. I’m also committed to supporting local jobs and businesses and, like most of you, I’ve experienced firsthand how important it is to fix our roads and transport.
“Surviving cancer in 2017 has reinforced my determination to fight for well-funded healthcare for every Australian.”
Ellie Smith is smart, committed, capable and caring. She understands empowerment – she has grown enormous power with the community alongside her.
We volunteers constantly express feeling a deep sense of privilege, excitement, pride, possibility and hope to actively contribute to collective power for good, with Smith.
Most of all she wants to be able to look into their children’s eyes each night with the feeling that is doing her very best to lead the change needed to secure their future and the best present and future of all Australian children, whoever they are and want to be.
For so many of us, that is what we want most in a leader.
Author details
Professor Melissa Haswell, pictured below, has more than 40 years of experience working in global, public, environmental, mental and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.
See Croakey’s archive of articles on fossil fuels and health
