The Green candidate for Hume in the federal election is David Powell.
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Mr Powell lives in Silverdale, near Warragamba Dam and he currently works as a facility manager for a medical manufacturing company.
He said he has been motivated to run as a candidate because of the government's failure to act on climate change.
"Inaction on climate change shows the major parties care less about future generations and biodiversity than about their own corporate donations," he said.
"Meanwhile, farmers on the front line, especially in Hume, are suffering from the impacts of drought."
He said this is 'the climate change election.'
"Climate change has been pushed into the background in Australia in comparison to a lot of countries," he said.
"But the groundswell is that the science is in and it is real, so many are realising we should be doing something about it - that it is becoming more urgent to act.
"This coincides with our power generation infrastructure coming to the end of its life. As a result, this is starting to come to the top of the conversation. We need to replace it but what are we going to replace it with? From my perspective, it needs to be replaced with renewable energy."
He said the country was ready for change.
"Australian people are ready for a change. We need to address government idleness on climate change and no party is more committed to this than the Greens," he said.
"Voting for the Greens in the current Energy Minister's electorate is the best way to send a message that we care about our climate emergency and need to fix it.
"This government is impeding our much-needed transition to renewable energy and is peddling mistruths about the role of renewables in the spiralling cost of energy.
"This government is not acting for the common good of ordinary people or the environment, and certainly not with any common sense.
"We need to stop public subsidies to the fossil fuel sector and properly tax big corporations so we can invest in education, clean-tech jobs and a better standard of healthcare."
He said he was running for the Greens because they provided a clear alternative to the major party candidates in Hume.
"I joined the Greens because they are a party that I believe can make a positive difference, that cares about people of all races, will fight for social and economic justice and indigenous rights, support efforts to acknowledge and act on climate change before it is too late, and embraces the opportunity offered by renewable energy," he said.
He said the Greens are uniquely positioned to provide the direction needed to ensure a clean, sustainable future through strong, fully costed policy, whether it be a plan to:
- rapidly transition to renewables to provide clean energy, and encourage investment in the sector, which would lead to more jobs.
- the re-training of those whose jobs are displaced by this transition.
- provide a publicly owned energy retailer to help control the high energy prices.
- end the corrupting influence of corporate donors and establish a federal anti-corruption commission, and
- provide free access to TAFE and University, and fully fund our public schools.
"They are guided by the local community's needs and are realistic about a sustainable future for all," he said.
"I also have a commitment to social equity, responsible environmental management and grassroots democracy."
Mr Powell is a passionate supporter of TAFE and the union movement.
He is a passionate advocate for a rapid transition to 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030.
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David Cole
Journalist at the Goulburn Post
Journalist at the Goulburn Post
