Hamilton Uniting congregation

Dated 5 May 2025    

Taking in what happened at the Federal Election is going to take a while. The headline, of course, is that we averted a major backward step on climate progress. Not long ago that was a real possibility. Not now! Let’s take some time to celebrate. 

It’s a great relief to have a Government elected that fundamentally believes in taking action on climate change. There was a mix of issues on the table but energy policy was prominent, so it can reasonably be said that Australian voters were mostly unimpressed with nuclear energy and voted for a future based on renewables, EV’s, batteries and other sustainable technologies. 

ARRCC supporters can be proud of our significant contribution to the climate movement’s collective determined effort to create this outcome. Hundreds of ARRCC people were involved.

That we take a stand on the climate as people of faith adds weight to our messaging - our basic motivation is not ideological but to create a better society, one organised around values of compassion, fairness, simple lifestyles and responsible care for the earth. Collectively we stand against greed and for a safe, flourishing future for all.

A big THANK YOU to everyone who worked so hard over the past weeks and months! Our campaign really started last year with the run-up to the week of action in September. There has been little rest since. So many people have put up banners, given out yard signs, made videos and taken photos for social media, made phone calls asking others to do these things, come to meetings, convinced others in your faith community to get involved, helped organise public meetings, spoken to the media, met candidates, meditated and prayed, and walked the streets putting leaflets through letterboxes. Thank you for doing this, and for trusting that the voices of people of faith really matter. I hope you will be taking some time to rest, perhaps go on a retreat, and seek some balance. 

Here are a couple of examples of the amazing work ARRCC supporters were involved in the last week before the Election. First, here is a headline from The Post newspaper from Friday morning that was delivered to letterboxes in the key WA seat of Curtin. 

Please note that the journalist took considerable liberties with what Father Matthew Smedley actually said. He had carefully said "I think" not caring for Creation displeases God, and his comments were more about failing to be a good steward generally.

There was also this national community radio coverage on The Wire on the eve of the election about the amazing work of faith communities nationwide, especially in South Australia in the electorates of Boothby and Sturt where a total nine banners went up outside places of worship. Here is one of them.

Whatever comes next, let’s do this work out of compassion rather than rage, and sit with the uncomfortable  paradox of being utterly determined while also knowing that so little is within our personal control. 

So where do things stand now? 

There are of course many reasons the election result went the way it did. The cost of living was probably the biggest issue. It seems likely also that many simply voted for stability and continuity when the world at large seems to be offering very little of that. Yet the climate still mattered a great deal. One of the Coalition's signature issues was nuclear energy. They only ever chose that terrible policy because they were in a corner after the last election on the climate. They wanted to seem as if there is serious intent to act on this issue while delaying real action for as long as possible and prolonging the life of coal and gas in the meantime. They also wanted to keep the peace within the Coalition itself so that those who wanted no action at all wouldn’t fight with the few remaining moderates. When voters realised what shonky policy it was, especially how much it would cost, they rejected it. The Coalition now has no alternative left but to embrace the kinds of policies that are good both for the economy and the climate, like renewables, or risk ongoing political wilderness. Whether they learn that lesson is another matter.

That in itself is a problem. We have always said that we need both major parties to back serious action to tackle this crisis. One of the big challenges will be to persuade conservatives that action on the climate can and should be a part of prosperity and security. While we are better placed than many to do this as people of faith, it won’t be easy. Often we are all too frustrated with those in our own faith communities who have opposed climate action and we can tend to avoid hard conversations for fear of disharmony. We will need to learn to be both more courageous and more willing to listen. 

The climate was definitely a factor in the election results. The Prime Minister mentioned it in his victory speech. The climate-concerned independents kept all but two of their existing MPs, most increasing their majorities and the counting still continues in Goldstein and Kooyong. Another may have been elected in Bradfield. The Greens had a shaky night, which is ironic given that their raw vote count actually went up slightly. Between those who voted for community independents, the Greens and Labor, a clear majority voted for more action. It showed up in a big policy win too, with $2.3 billion going to the Cheaper Home Batteries program — the government’s second largest spending commitment of the election. The program will see over one million households, small businesses, and community facilities install a battery by 2030. It will reshape the political landscape and create new opportunities for the movement.

All of this was due to a strong and highly organised climate movement that collaborated closely on strategy both nationally and locally. We should be enormously proud of the part we have played in that.

Where to from here?

There is no reason now to hold back on putting pressure on this re-elected government to act more boldly to protect the climate, especially when it comes to approving new coal and gas projects. Scientists tell us that every effort to reduce emissions counts and we’re running out of time. There is every reason to scale up action and no more need to fear the Coalition. 

The late, beloved Pope Francis was a wonderful example of fearless leadership in the service of humanity. He cared nothing for power. His whole life was dedicated to alleviating the suffering of people subject to various kinds of injustice and for protecting our Mother Earth. He wrote, “earth herself, burdened and laid waste, is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor.”(LS, 2) He also had courage, and held his ground against those who engage in culture wars.

ARRCC will be doing everything possible to influence the Government to get beyond timidity and properly serve the needs of future generations and those living in climate vulnerable countries of the Global South. Along with our partners, we will emphatically press for policies which would end approvals for new coal and gas projects, respect the land rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, support a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty and a fair, timely transition away from the burning of fossil fuels domestically.

The chances of the COP31 climate summit being jointly held by Australia and at least one Pacific country have now gone up. If that happens, all eyes will be on Australia and the global pressure for the government to walk the talk by phasing out coal and gas exports will be immense. Given the significance of the Christian church in the Pacific, and the links to the Pasifika diaspora here, the opportunity for faith communities to take a leading role seems obvious. We will need to do this with humility and to start by listening to our neighbours in the Pacific as well as First Nations peoples here. And we can show leadership by showing that determination and political courage can be coupled with being respectful and polite and, as ever, by joining together across various faith traditions. 

For ARRCC to do any of this at scale will need more resources. We are extremely effective for such a (financially) small organisation, with highly engaged volunteers and well-developed networks in the faith sector  and the climate movement alike - all this at a time when faith leaders are speaking up more than ever. However, we are currently seeking out more resources to help us realise our full potential. 

Thea Ormerod & Tejopala Rawls