Desiree Cai
Labor needs to pick a side
This week Labor is deciding their policy platform for the next election. Labor could choose to be champions of a Climate Jobs Guarantee, but because of the efforts of big business Labor’s draft platform falls well short of what we need. Labor can never be a party of good jobs and a safe climate while MPs like Joel Fitzgibbon are working in the interests of big business. Add your name to the campaign calling on Labor choose climate jobs and replace Fitzgibbon.
Last summer Australia’s east coast cities were blanketed in toxic smoke from bushfires. For the people on the frontlines of the fires, it was hell. Pictures of terrified families fleeing into the water in Mallacoota were shared around the world. 478 people died.
These bushfires were the worst climate disaster Australia has faced yet. But while the fires were still raging, Labor MP Joel Fitzgibbon was colluding with Coalition Senator Matt Canavan and the head of a global coal lobby group.
While towns were being destroyed, Joel Fitzgibbon launched a campaign of misinformation straight out of the climate denier playbook. Instead of fighting for long term jobs solving the climate crisis, he denied that anything needed to be done at all. Instead of fighting for safety of workers inhaling toxic smoke, he fought to protect the profits of mining CEOs.
People who put mining CEOs ahead of workers have no place in the Labor Party. Labor can be the party of good jobs and a safe climate, or they can be the party of Joel Fitzgibbon. They can’t be both, and it’s time for them to choose.
Scott Morrison’s government is pushing millions of people into poverty, making our working conditions increasingly insecure and accelerating the climate crisis. We need Labor to stand up for young people and be a real alternative.
Solving the climate crisis is an opportunity to rebuild our public services, modernise our infrastructure and guarantee a job to everyone who needs one. There is no shortage of good work to be done, and Climate Jobs Guarantee would create jobs doing that work.
Joel Fitzgibbon is no friend of workers. He is no friend of young people. He is a weight around the neck of a party that is meant to stand for us. He needs to go.
Desiree Cai
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