Dai Le, an independent, declined to back Labor’s climate change legislation out of concern that it would raise living expenses.
The newly elected Fowler MP claimed that the measure lacked specifics about how it would affect impoverished Australians. She surprisingly defeated Kristina Keneally to capture the formerly secure Labor seat in western Sydney.
The legislation, which the Greens will support, sets an emissions reduction target of 43% by 2030 and net zero by 2050. It also mandates that the minister in charge of the time submit an annual report to parliament on the nation’s advancement.
Independent Dai Le (seen on Wednesday) declined to back Labor’s climate change legislation out of concern that it would raise living expenses.
Senior Liberals have derided it as meaningless virtue signaling, and Ms. Le, the first immigrant elected to the House of Commons, has refused to endorse it out of concern that it may worsen cost of living pressures by raising electricity prices.
‘I have decided to abstain from voting on the Climate Change Bill until there are more details on how its implementation will affect low-income families in Fowler,’ she said on Wednesday.
‘I do not consider the current Climate Change Bill to be an emergency. Right now, Australian families have a real emergency, and we need to focus on low-income families who are struggling with high food, fuel and energy prices,’ she said.
Labor has argued that switching to renewable energy will eventually lower power rates, but in light of this winter’s skyrocketing energy prices, it has already abandoned its election promise to decrease bills by $275 year by 2025.
With inflation reaching 6.1% in the June quarter, the highest level since 2001, Ms. Le, who is advocating for the 22 cents-per-litre gasoline tax reduction to be extended through September 28, said her first aim is to lower the cost of living for hard-up Australians.
‘Right now, we need to take action on the cost-of-living emergency that is crippling most Australian families,’ she said.
‘People are struggling with a cost-of-living emergency, we are dealing with rising fuel costs with no relief in sight.
‘In my electorate, the average household income is 20 per cent less than the rest of Australia, we need solutions now.’
Ms Le said she could not support a bill without understanding its consequences for prices.
‘As it stands the legislation lacks detail which means there is no certainty on power prices, there is no certainty on how we will achieve it.
‘The current Climate Change Bill lacks vision on how it will affect our communities now,’ she said.
Ms. Le stated that while she prioritizes the expense of living, she favors a “greener climate.”
The lower chamber was debating the measure as of Thursday morning, and it was anticipated to pass with minor modifications.
Karen Andrews, a shadow minister for home affairs, claimed the measure was just symbolic.
She told Sky News Australia, “I believe that a lot of what’s going on right now is symbolic. It’s so that Labor and the Greens and others can sit there and pat themselves on the back and say what a magnificent job we’ve done when they haven’t produced anything real and substantial.”