The Animal Justice Party primarily focuses on the welfare of animals. However, they recognise that we face a climate emergency and advocate immediate and substantial action including: a rapid phase out of non-sequestered fossil fuel technologies and their replacement by clean electricity generation infrastructure (including nuclear); a rapid reduction in emissions from agriculture (including pricing methane emissions from livestock, and shifting subsidies from animal agriculture to plant-based agriculture); and the development of carbon sequestration through re-afforestation of suitable areas. Read more here.
The Australian Christians have a primary focus on social issues related to a conservative interpretation of Christian values. They have no specific climate, energy or land use policies, although they mention sustainability. In their view, "humans have an obligation to responsibly manage the environment and to mitigate, where feasible, environmental change and pollution." They exchange preferences with the Democratic Labor Party and Rise Up Australia. Read more here.
The Australian Country Alliance "[support] the continued use and expansion of alternative renewable energy sources whilst at the same time recognising that at the present time only coal fired generation can provide sufficient base load." They would "promote the development of clean coal technology to enable the State to continue to take advantage of the immense brown coal deposits which will then be an exportable commodity." They "[do] not support fracking until there is indisputable and independent evidence that it is safe, especially for underground water reserves." Read more here.
The Australian Cyclists Party are a single issue party aiming to support and increase cycling participation. They have no specific policies on climate, energy or land use. However, their values include support for "creating a sustainable economy that serves and safeguards individual and community interests; [and] respecting the environment to ensure the health and prosperity of current and future generations." Read more here.
The Australian Sex Party has a primary focus on libertarian issues, including the liberalisation of laws on prostitution and explicit sexual material. They have a strong climate emergency policy and support for reducing our emissions to near zero and drawing down existing excess greenhouse gas concentrations as fast as possible via large scale re-vegetation. They support: "transitioning the stationary energy sector out of fossil fuels to one based on renewables; transitioning the transport sector from the use of fossil fuels to the use of electricity generated from renewable sources (including expanding bike and walking facilities and make wearing of bicycle helmets optional for adults; electrification of light, heavy and super fast rail; and expanding the use of electrified cars); reducing emissions from the agricultural sector; and cessation of clearing of native vegetation." They have links to the sex industry via the EROS Foundation and may compromise on their climate change policies in order to advance their central agenda. They are not actively campaigning on climate but do campaign on public transport. They do not have a position on the East-West Link. Read more here.
The Democratic Labor Party of Australia has a vague conservation policy and no climate, transport or renewable energy policies. They have no policy on coal but support "an immediate moratorium on all Coal Seam Gas mining until independent scientific research ... can irrefutably prove it is entirely safe and harmless to the human population, concludes that there is no risk of contamination to our ground water aquifers and is entirely safe for the land and environment. They promise to "demand answers of an industry that so far appears to have been given a free ride in all its endeavours." They exchange preferences with the Australian Christians and Rise Up Australia. Read more here.
Family First deny that anthropogenic climate change is happening. They assert that "claims that 'there is a scientific consensus' and 'the science is settled' are not true"; that "carbon dioxide is not a pollutant, it is plant food"; and that "carbon dioxide has had no discernible influence on the world's climate in the past and there is no reason to believe it should in the future". Read more here.
The Liberal Democratic Party acknowledges that "atmospheric carbon dioxide is increasing", but "considers the consequences of this, whether it is due to human influence and if anything can or should be done about it, as too uncertain to warrant government action". They support "an energy market [operating] in the private sector, competing in an environment of limited regulation which does not seek to pick winners" and "with all sources competing on the basis of price, quality and social factors (including environmental impact)" They believe that "the price of energy must take account of its 'whole of life' costs and should not transfer any costs to others through any means other than price" and that "the proper role of government is to establish consistent, objective rules for environmental impact consistent with community values" including "the emission of pollutants by coal-fired power plants, the storage of waste by nuclear power plants, and noise pollution by wind farms". Read more here.
The National Party of Australia is in coalition with the Liberal Party and has no separate policy on climate change, energy, land use or transport. See the summary of the coalition policies.
The Palmer United Party does not have a climate change policy other than 25 per cent of all vehicles should be running on ethanol-based fuel by the end of 2020. The party took a policy of abolishing the carbon price to the last federal election, but since a meeting with Al Gore, the party leader now says that he supports action on climate change. The party is so far standing firm on a promise not to reduce the federal Renewable Energy Target, but has a history of changing position in the course of negotiations. Clive Palmer has investments in coal and the party has no policy to phase out the use of fossil fuels. Read more here.
People Power Victoria - No Smart Meters describe themselves as "neither Left nor Right, but ‘bottom up’". They oppose the introduction of smart meters because of health concerns. They have no specific climate policy. They support practical solutions to " environmental protection, resource sustainability, and ... climate change" including "removing concessions and subsidies in energy, extraction and resource industries" and "[removing] regulatory obstacles to communities and households developing decentralised energy generation systems and selling energy back to the grid". Read more here.
The primary aim of Rise Up Australia is to "keep Australia Australian". They take the view that global warming "doesn’t exist" and assert that "so called “scientists” have finally realised that they are unable to convince us that it does, as it is difficult to justify that the planet is getting hotter and hotter, when it is also getting colder and colder." They are advised on climate policy by climate change denier Christopher Monckton. They support coal as "clean, quiet, cheap energy in bulk supply". They assert that renewable energy can never replace fossil fuels. They are in a preference swapping arrangement with the Democratic Labor Party and Australian Christians. Read more here.
The Shooters and Fishers Party is a single issue party advocating for the rights of hunters, shooters, and fishers. They work to expand the agriculture, forestry and mining industries. They oppose "locking away" natural resources and support "active management". They oppose the action of "climate change alarmists" and others in smearing extractive industries. However, they do oppose mining exploration and extraction which would "permanently [affect] prime agricultural land or water systems" . The party has a broadly libertarian and socially conservative perspective. Read more here.
Socialist Alliance are working for socialism — a democratic society run by and for working people, and see a transition to socialism as "necessary if humanity and the planet are to survive". They recognise that we face a climate emergency and that there is already too much carbon in the atmosphere. They support a rapid transition away from fossil fuels to 100% renewable energy. They support a transition to carbon-neutral and organic farming, including sharp reductions in the numbers of cattle and sheep. They advocate free and frequent public transport, combined with policies that stimulate cycling and walking. In their view, "public ownership and control over energy generation and distribution is essential to bring this industry under an overall plan for greenhouse gas reduction and environmental sustainability" and they would protect the welfare of workers and affected communities during the transition to a net zero emissions society. Read more here.
The Basics Rock'n' Roll Party was formed by The Basics, a band, reportedly in response to the repeal of the carbon price and concern for the environment. However, another report describes their main concerns as promoting changes in the areas of education, innovation and rock'n'roll. They have no website, and their Facebook page provides scant detail regarding their policies. Read more here.
Voice for the West have no climate or environment policy. However, they support community-based innovations in sustainable living and working including "removing concessions and subsidies in energy, extraction and resource industries; [removing] regulatory obstacles to communities and households developing decentralised energy generation systems and selling energy back to the grid; and [removing] regulatory obstacles to communities and households developing water harvesting, reuse and recycling systems aimed at reducing water consumption". Read more here.
The Voluntary Euthanasia Party is a single issue party with no policies on other issues. Read more here.
Vote 1 Local Jobs is essentially a single issue party focused on job creation in the western region. They have no climate change policy, but support wind energy and believe that the federal Renewable Energy Target should remain at the current level. They support a permanent ban on unconventional gas mining because of the risks to underground water.