MARK Selmes wasn’t able to get a seat at Wednesday night’s Regional Leaders Debate, but that didn’t stop him from going along.
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The Mt Rae resident and long-time environmental activist donned a gas mask and suit outside the gates of Goulburn High School. His usual Cranky Koala costume lay uninhabited by the fence.
Coinciding with Pollution Free Politics week, organised by 350.org, Mr Selmes said the costume represented the “polluting fossil fuel industry trying to buy influence and subsidies”.
“Our Government’s stand accused of putting the interests of big political donors from polluting industries ahead of a future with clean air and water for all,” Mr Selmes said.
“Buying access to decision makers only undermines the principle that citizens are entitled to an equal say in democracy. This can only lead to a perception amongst the general public that decisions are foregone conclusions.
“It would appear that some politicians are going out of their way to solicit money from polluting mining and energy corporations, even to the extent of ‘laundering’ donations through slush funds.
“Combine this with rorting of expenses by politicians, the granting of tax exemptions and subsidies for their wealthy mates, the revolving door between politicians, their advisors and jobs in mining and unconventional gas industries, and is it any wonder that people lose faith in what is supposedly a democratic system?”
Joining Mr Selmes outside the school were the Sunny mascot representing Solar Citizens, the Pesky Possum and a Platypus representing the Water 4 Life campaign.
“The Water 4 Life campaign is intended to start a national conversation around the effects on agricultural lands and water catchments of coal mining and CSG,” Mr Selmes said.
“As Barnaby Joyce is in town for the regional leaders debate, and as he refers to the LNP Government as the Turnbull-Joyce government, he has a responsibility to protect his electorate from activities that don’t just use vast amounts of water but also have the potential to contaminate water aquifers on what is the driest continent on earth.”
He was also offering donations to anyone who wanted to take them for coal mines and CSG mining but nobody accepted.
Mostly they smiled and wanted a photo with him and his friends.
Cranky Koala has had a hard year of protesting.
He fried in 40-degree temperatures in the Pilliga over a mine and donned size nine XXL budgy smugglers in honour of Tony Abbott on Manly beach, suffering sunstroke in the process.
Now he’s retiring for the year. “I’m over elections and politics,” he told the Post. But that’s another story.