School Strike 4 Climate
Katherine COPSEY (Southern Metropolitan) (13:52): I congratulate the young people who took part in the School Strike 4 Climate most recently. The strike was not only admirable but absolutely necessary. Our planet is burning, and the urgency of the climate crisis cannot be overstated. And Labor are making the climate crisis worse, recklessly pushing ahead with new coal and gas projects. I support each and every young person who participated in the strike, because the climate crisis is catastrophic for all of us but it will hit their generation the hardest. These students took to the streets and took a stand for their future and the future of our planet. They cannot vote yet, but they are making their voices heard. What I heard from young people speaking and what I saw on all their placards was a crystal-clear understanding that it is their future at stake and our generation must take immediate action to save it, to stop using coal and gas. The scientific consensus is clear: there can be no more coal and gas projects if we want to maintain a safe climate for future generations. The School Strike 4 Climate sends a powerful message that governments and corporations would do best to heed. Those of us in this place need to take responsibility, take action to stop coal and gas and do it now.