Labor Environment Action Network

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Labor Environment Action Network is part of the Australian Labor Party

Attack on LEAN

Joel Fitzgibbon has accused Labor’s influential internal environment lobby of putting blue-collar jobs and lower energy prices at risk —– and warned them against exaggerating the number of jobs in the renewable energy sector — as the party’s split over climate and energy policy grows.

The opposition resources and agriculture spokesman said the Labor Environment Action Network’s “fundamentalist” policies were out of step with ALP values and making the party unelectable, according to leaked emails obtained by The Australian. LEAN, which invited Mr Fitzgibbon to a Wednesday forum, was founded by Labor’s home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally and opposition cabinet secretary Jenny McAllister to push the party into stronger climate change action.

“LEAN also needs to be cautious about overstating the number of job opportunities provided by capital-intensive and import-dependent renewable projects in the short to medium run,” he wrote in the Saturday email.

The forum, a town hall event held by LEAN’s Hunter branch, will hear from NSW Labor environment spokeswoman Kate Washington, Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union state secretary Steve Murphy, Grattan Institute energy director Tony Wood and Beyond Zero Emissions researcher Dominique Hes.

Mr Fitzgibbon said, given the impact of COVID-19, Labor should be focused on “building on the strengths of those industries which have performed well during the crisis. They provide the best opportunity to deliver outcomes quickly. Immediate job creation cannot be achieved with a fixation on concepts like “green steel” which are decades away,” he wrote.

Mr Fitzgibbon told LEAN he would not participate in the group’s “Jobs & Steel: the Hunter’s Renewable Future” forum on Wednesday because it had “already made its position” clear on key environmental policy issues.

In the email, Mr Fitzgibbon criticised LEAN over its pre-emptive positions on environmental policies, including the Narrabri gas project and EPBC review.

“I note LEAN has accused others of pre-empting the final EPBC review report, but is guilty of doing exactly that itself,” he said.

“I also note LEAN has passed judgment on the Narrabri gas project before the IPC has completed processes and scientific analysis. This pre-emptive attack on a project which will deliver many blue-collar jobs and lower energy prices for households and industry is contrary to ideals on which Labor was formed.”

Mr Fitzgibbon is backed by Australian Workers Union national secretary Dan Walton, who said policy positions advocated by LEAN would be “devastating for the livelihoods of blue collar workers”.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese, under pressure from Left colleagues to not abandon the ALP’s ambitious climate change policies, earlier this year committed to a net zero emissions target by 2050 but is yet to commit to a medium-term target.

In February, Mr Albanese said Australia should be a “clean energy superpower harnessing the wind and sun to spark a new manufacturing boom”.

Mr Walton said while “green steel” was an exciting proposition, the technology remained “a way off.” “Even its most enthusiastic proponent, Sanjeev Gupta, will tell you the technology is a way off and accessible, affordable natural gas is necessary in the immediate term if we are to maintain an Australian steel industry,’’ he said.[1]

"Albo on LEAN"

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LEAN Australia - Labor Environment Action Network July 29, 2020.

Albo and other MPs this afternoon came out in defence of LEAN and Labor’s commitment to the environment, saying “the resources spokesman’s criticisms of the party’s environmental wing are “conspiracy theories” and “just wrong”.” Thanks to the parliamentary party for defending the efforts of rank and file Labor people who care for equality and a safe planet.

"Amid internal divisions on environmental policy, the Opposition Leader dismissed Mr Fitzgibbon’s concerns that the “fundamentalist” positions of the Labor Environment Action Network (LEAN) were a barrier to the party’s electoral success.

“It’s just wrong. LEAN is made up of people who are committed to environmental action,” Mr Albanese said in Sydney on Wednesday. “The Labor Party is the party that should be very proud and are proud of everything from the Daintree being saved, the Franklin being saved, the concern around climate change, concern around the Great Barrier Reef, the concern around Kakadu National Park.”"

LEAN on "Albo"

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LEAN Australia - Labor Environment Action Network

LEAN's response to Albo's speech today on building bi-partisan pathways on climate action:

"Felicity Wade, national co-convenor of the Labor Environment Action Network, tells The Monthly Today that Albanese is trying to progress action on climate change by negotiating towards some form of mechanism in the electricity sector that provides investment certainty as well as emissions reduction. “Albo is saying, ‘Let’s sort out that mechanism and we can ramp it up when we’re in government.’ He has said nothing to suggest Labor won’t have its own interim targets, and LEAN will work hard to ensure they are ambitious,” says Wade.

“We have all got less purist about climate policy over the years. What we most need is a workable mechanism – policy elegance was ditched on this years ago! Getting a bipartisan emissions reduction mechanism in place would be a huge positive step in Australian climate politics. Today Albo has endorsed a whole bunch of things LEAN supports: initiatives to invest heavily into the renewable energy sector, restoring ARENA funding, banning nuclear power and having an ability to scale up our emission reduction targets when we can. We’re not huge fans of wasting taxpayer funds on carbon capture and storage but it’s not a ‘die in a ditch’ issue.” "

Local contats

Tasmania secretary Martin Summers

New South Wales To get more involved please contact Jaden Harris, NSW Convenor jaden@lean.net.au. Tim Lang and Penny Pederson are the NSW Organisers.

LEAN also has active local branches in Sydney's Inner West, Newcastle, Blue Mountains, North Coast, Central Coast, Sutherland Shire, Far South Coast and South Coast (around Jervis Bay). Be in touch with NSW LEAN to get contacts in your local area.

LEAN Far South Coast Frances Perkins farsouthcoast@lean.net.au

LEAN Western Sydney Caroline Staples beralaisskyblue@gmail.com

LEAN Kiama TBC

LEAN Hunter Tim Lang timothy@lean.net.au

LEAN Inner West Frank Breen innerwest@lean.net.au

LEAN Shire South Maryanne Stuart the.stuarts@bigpond.com

LEAN Central Coast Joy Cooper cooperjoy64@gmail.com

Leadership

STATE/TERRITORY/LOCAL branches

Leaders

New South Wales

Queensland

South Australia

Tasmania

Western Australia

CRUNCH TIME

CRUNCH TIME conference.

Day One – Wednesday 22nd April 2009.

Reality and policy on climate change

References

  1. ↑ [1]
  2. ↑ [2]
  3. ↑ [3]
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