FEDERAL Member for Mallee Anne Webster has dismissed criticism she has abandoned her electorate by labelling the link between climate change and the NSW and Queensland fires as “inappropriate”.
Member for Mildura Ali Cupper and Cr Helen Healy accused Dr Webster of toeing The Nationals’ party line rather than considering the needs of the electorate when she told Sunraysia Daily on Friday that debating climate change as the cause of the fires was unhelpful political point-scoring.
“Our very existence is at stake and Dr Webster’s telling people not to make it political,” Ms Cupper said.
“It’s an absolute dereliction of duty to represent the people of the Mallee electorate, choosing to dismiss community concern rather than tackling the truth.”
Asking the community not to talk about climate change while fires continued to burn was “inherently political”, according to Cr Healy.
“Dr Webster doesn’t want us to talk about climate change because her colleagues in the Coalition are bringing chunks of coal into parliament, cutting the number of firefighters and park rangers and completely ignoring all of the experts, including the 23 brave former emergency services leaders who spoke out (on Friday) about government inaction on climate change,” she said.
“She is a highly intelligent person, so I’m saddened that she’s decided to make these comments when she knows that climate change is what is making life so hard for our farmers and growers.
“She should be representing her constituents and not toeing the party line.”
However, Dr Webster on Sunday said her comments were made in response to criticism of Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, who earlier last week said “raving inner-city lunatics” were pushing the climate change agenda as reason for the fires.
“I refuse to be part of a climate alarmism, which does not consider the complexity of Australia’s sustainability in terms of productivity, specific environments and standard of living,” Dr Webster said.
“Our focus in these trying and devastating times of drought and bushfires must be on our communities in the here and now, supporting them, caring for them, walking the journey to recovery with them, while the long-term strategies continue to be developed.
“Nobody is putting the shovel down.”
Ms Cupper said she was disappointed in Dr Webster given the Mallee electorate was in the “eye of the storm”.
“The fact that we have our Federal Member for Mallee who I know, who I like, who I have great respect for and that is an extremely intelligent woman is just on a completely different page here … I think it’s disappointing,” Ms Cupper said.
“To suggest we shouldn’t be talking about the cause when we are seeing the effects makes no sense to me.”
More than 50 fires continued to burn in NSW and about 70 across Queensland, according to fire emergency service updates on Sunday.
“No matter what climate solutions programs are being developed — nothing at this point is going to take the drought and fires away. I believe people understand that,” Dr Webster said.
“Alarmism and catastrophising about global issues at a time like this simply reduces a sense of hope.
“A calm, considered approach to our national responsibility to climate must occur, and a global solution must be shouldered.”
