On Tuesday 6 August nine members of the Wills Climate and Environment Advisory Group met with Peter Khalil.

Top of the agenda was the need for a Climate Trigger in the national environment laws. The latest amendments are due to be presented in the current session of parliament this August.

We asked also that he meet with our allies sending delegations to parliament in Canberra (Traditional Owners, bushfire survivors and others) to hear the need for a Climate Trigger. We expressed our outrage that more fossil fuel projects continue to be approved, and explaining a Climate Trigger is the tool needed to enable the newly established Federal EPA or Minister Plibersek to reject projects. 

Peter Khalil wanted to know the reasons why the 12 Fossil Fuel projects were approved by the Environment Minister. Hello, he is in the Government, and Tanya Plibersek is his colleague. Shouldn’t that question be directed to her?

He seemed to agree that a Climate Trigger is needed, and said he would take our concerns to Tanya, and also try to fit in a meeting with the allies. 

The results of an ongoing community survey collected by 350.org were also presented to Peter Khalil, with 101 survey participants in Wills.

There was overwhelming concern by survey participants with climate change, with approval of new fossil fuel projects, and that Federal environment laws should rigorously assess the climate impacts and emissions from coal and gas projects before approving them, and support for a fast phaseout of coal and gas for renewables..

Electric Vehicles and Active Transport

Peter spoke to Chris Bowen, who advised that $100 million funding has been provided to an Active Transport Fund. On EVs he said that there has been a reduction in taxes which has reduced EV cost by $11k. No subsidy program for e-bikes.

The $100 million funding for active transport is over 4 years.

It is Interesting to compare this funding with the French government which announced plans in May 2023 to spend €2 billion in the 4 years to 2027 to promote cycling. The funds will finance the Bicycle Mobility Plan. This comes on top of municipal spending on cycling infrastructure, such as under Mayor Hidalgo in Paris. On a per capita basis taking into account exchange rate and relative population differences, Australian Federal funding for active transport is $3.85, while France is $48.85.

Australia’s climate Finance Critically Insufficient

We raised a question why Australia has not contributed to the newly established Loss and Damages Fund. Australia supported the establishment of this fund at COP28 in Dubai in December 2023. Peter offered that Australia were contributing money to the Pacific Resilience Fund instead. It was highlighted to him that these funds have different functions and that Australia’s contributions to global climate finance as a whole has been rated in December 2023 as Critically Insufficient by the Climate Action Tracker. His response was to ask who the Climate Action Tracker is….

For Peter’s benefit, Climate Action Tracker is:

 “an independent scientific project that tracks government climate action and measures it against the globally agreed Paris Agreement aim of “holding warming well below 2°C, and pursuing efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C.” A collaboration of two organisations, Climate Analytics and NewClimate Institute, the CAT has been providing this independent analysis to policymakers since 2009.”

Climate Action Tracker have made assessments of Australia’s policies and commitments from June 2011, with the latest assessment on Australia in December 2023.

Renewable Projects advancing

Peter kept reiterating the strengths of the government with renewables roll out advising that approximately 128 renewable projects are in train, with 48 approved so far under the Capacity Investment Scheme.

The community representatives kept dragging the conversation back to the approval of new coal and gas projects. That  Renewables are not enough.

Peter Khalil gave a commitment to ask Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek why she has approved 12 new fossil fuel projects. He stated he wants to understand this, as he doesn’t yet know why the decisions were made.

It was stressed several times by different people the importance of the Climate Trigger in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act. That the community is incredibly concernTed and feels helpless with no serious action on climate change.

Peter Khalil said he understood that helplessness. He stated he will talk about this in caucus, and can go in the media.

The group also pointed out that his new social cohesion envoy role will be impacted due to the climate crisis.

We again raised release of the Office of National Intelligence report on climate security. Or at least a response to the Australian Security Leaders Climate Group “Too hot to handle” report. Peter Khalil responded that the ONI report  is not being released as it has been deemed classified by the Prime Minister.

With that our meeting, which only went for 25 minutes, was over, as a Staffer said he was needed for his next appointment.

One of the ongoing issues the Wills Climate and Environment Advisory Group has had since its establishment is in getting regular meetings with our MP, and ensuring they are a reasonable length to enable discussion of the many policy and strategy issues. Infrequent meetings which are too short does nothing.

Is Peter Khalil treating the climate crisis seriously if the Advisory Group he established is treated with such off-handedness?

Meanwhile, while we were meeting with Peter inside his office, a couple of people and The chihuahuas for Climate Action stayed outside handing out leaflets to passsers-by.

The Wills Climate and Environment Advisory Group was established at a networking event on Friday 23 June 2023 at the Post Office Hotel organised by Peter Khalil’s office, after an election commitment by Peter to establish this advisory group.