Perth Voice Interactive

The Liberal Party was a no-show at a packed climate change forum Monday night with federal Tangney MP Dennis Jensen pulling out just days beforehand and no other candidate or MP willing to stand in.

The WA Civil Society roundtable at UWA was hosted by Fiona Stanley and saw Labor’s Alannah MacTiernan debating Greens senator Scott Ludlam.

Convenor Jamie Hanson had hoped to have a Liberal representative on hand to discuss Tony Abbott’s “direct action” policy and punters were left “disappointed” by the last-minute cancellation.

“Dr Jensen…pulled out a few days before the forum saying he had other commitments,” Mr Hanson said.

“We asked every single candidate, senator and sitting MP for the Liberal party in WA if they could come and they all claimed that they had prior commitments, which was disappointing.

“If I was someone who was interested in climate change and I went to a sold-out public forum at UWA…. and the state Liberal party wasn’t able to find a single candidate who was willing to defend the Coalition’s climate change policy, I’d have serious doubts that they really believe in the policy.”

Mr Hanson saysthe civil society represents a broad base of interests from churches to Oxfam so they’re not a bunch of “lefty ratbags” looking for a cheap shot.

Mr Hanson also tried to get Ms MacTiernan’s Liberal opponent Darryl Moore on board but he also said he had other commitments.
Dr Jensen’s office says other things came up and the well-known climate change sceptic had tried unsuccessfully to find a replacement.

Ms MacTiernan says the no-show demonstrates the Liberals aren’t serious: “That is one of the reasons I am standing,” she says.

“I don’t think the leadership of the Liberal party is serious about climate change.”

by DAVID BELL