Greens Leader Accuses Both Major Parties of Coal, Gas 'Cosiness,' Blasts Labor's Gas Approval
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Greens leader Larissa Waters launched a dual attack on Australia’s major parties Thursday, accusing both Labor and the Coalition of serving coal and gas company interests while ordinary Australians suffer higher power bills and worsening climate impacts.
In a combative Sky News interview, Waters characterized the Coalition’s retreat from net zero commitments as benefiting fossil fuel corporations while condemning the Labor government for approving what she called “the biggest Southern Hemisphere’s gas export facility” within days of re-election.
“This is all very convenient for the coal and gas companies,” Waters said. “They’ll be cheering all the way to the bank, while the rest of us suffer under a turbocharged climate crisis and increased power bills.”
The remarks position the Greens as the only major party prioritizing climate action over corporate interests, while Waters accused both Labor and Liberal parties of policy weakness driven by industry donations.
Labor Gas Approval Draws Sharp Criticism
Waters singled out the Labor government’s post-election decision to approve the North West Shelf gas export facility as evidence of the party’s fossil fuel alignment.
“I think they’re pretty dismayed that within five seconds of being re-elected, the Labor government ticked off on the biggest Southern Hemisphere’s gas export facility, the North West Shelf, and then proposed a very, very inadequate climate target that would just allow further coal and gas,” Waters said.
The Greens leader framed both major parties’ climate policies as fundamentally compromised by fossil fuel industry influence.
“I think people are very aware of the weakness of the climate policies of both of the big parties, and they know that it’s the cosiness of the coal and gas companies and the big donations that those companies make to both of those big political parties that is the cause of that weak policy,” Waters said.
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Coalition Accused of 1950s Throwback Politics
Waters characterized the Coalition’s energy approach as regressive pandering that leaves Australia decades behind on climate action.
“Here we are back at ground zero again with a Liberal Party that is denying the science of the climate crisis and really condemning both nature and communities to worsened natural disasters and higher power prices,” Waters said.
She argued renewable energy represents the most affordable option while attacking the Coalition’s fossil fuel emphasis.
“We know from clear evidence that cheap, clean, renewable energy is, in fact, the most affordable form of energy, and the coalition are leaving us back in the 1950s by pandering to the coal and gas interests that, I might add, the Labor government is also very cosy with,” Waters said.
Polling Softness Attributed to Policy Weakness
Asked about recent polling showing reduced support for net zero targets, Waters argued Australians understand climate action necessity based on lived experience of extreme weather and economic impacts.
“I think people understand that we need to reduce emissions because they’re living through the bushfires and the floods and the droughts and the heat waves and the increased house insurance and the increased grocery prices,” Waters said. “People are seeing and feeling climate change every single day.”
Waters pointed to agricultural communities as particularly aware of climate change impacts on productivity.
“Talk to our agricultural communities. They can see that it’s happening. They can see productivity declining on their land, and they can see that it’s because the coal and gas companies are turbocharging the climate crisis while making a quick buck for themselves,” Waters said.
Turnbull Comments Invoked Against Coalition
Waters endorsed former Liberal Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s morning criticism of his own party’s climate position reversal.
“I thought Malcolm Turnbull’s comments this morning were actually quite on point, that the coalition seemed to have the memory of a goldfish and the appetite of a piranha,” Waters said.
She characterized the Coalition’s climate stance as creating political theater that benefits Labor by diverting attention from the government’s own policy weaknesses.
“They’re turning this into some internal political squabble. And the Labor Party loved that because it will take attention off their very weak climate policies and their environmental laws, which will simply fast-track coal and gas,” Waters said.
Call to Abandon Coalition Nature Law Negotiations
Waters urged the Labor government to reject any legislative deals with the Coalition on environmental protection, arguing the opposition’s climate science rejection eliminates their credibility on nature policy.
“The chief lesson that should be taken out of this week’s implosion on climate science of the coalition is that this Labor government should not do any deals on nature laws with the climate-denying coalition,” Waters said. “There’s zero credibility now on that front.”
She positioned the Greens as willing partners for stronger environmental legislation.
“If the government actually wants to write laws that will help protect nature, that will factor in climate, that will end native forest logging and not just roll out the red carpet for coal and gas corporations, well, they know the Greens’ door is open,” Waters said.
Six-Month Leadership Assessment Emphasizes Crisis Escalation
Reflecting on her first six months as Greens leader, Waters said every major challenge facing Australians has intensified under the current political system.
“The thing that struck me the most, Tom, is that none of the crises that people are facing have eased. They’ve all gotten worse,” Waters said. “The climate crisis is getting worse. The housing crisis is getting worse. The cost of living crisis is getting worse.”
She accused both major parties of prioritizing corporate and wealthy interests over community needs and environmental protection.
“We have a two-party system where they are so enamoured with big business, with the big loggers, with the big miners, and they write tax policy for them. They write superannuation tax policy for them. They write environmental laws for them,” Waters said. “Everything’s for the convenience of the coal and gas companies and the big corporates and the extremely wealthy.”
Waters characterized ordinary Australians and environmental concerns as forgotten priorities in current policymaking.
“It feels like ordinary people and the planet are just a distant memory,” Waters said.
Election Strategy Critique Acknowledges Messaging Gaps
Waters acknowledged the Greens’ May election campaign focused too heavily on preventing a Coalition victory rather than clearly communicating the party’s own policy offerings.
“It’s clear that the Greens did need to communicate our offerings more clearly,” Waters said, while expressing satisfaction with Peter Dutton’s defeat.
“I’m really pleased that the country rejected the sort of divisiveness and that Trump-like politics of Dutton. That’s a source of joy and hope for me,” Waters said.
She characterized the election as particularly challenging given the Greens’ willingness to confront powerful economic interests.
“We took on the big capital, property investors, military industrial complex, the big coal and gas companies. We picked a lot of fights and those folk really trained their efforts back on us,” Waters said.
Historic Vote Result Despite Headwinds
Despite acknowledging strategic shortcomings, Waters framed the election outcome as vindication of the Greens’ policy approach, claiming the party achieved its second-best result ever.
“The fact that we got our second highest historic vote ever in those circumstances is, I think, a real endorsement of the strong policy approach that we take to put people first and the planet first and the interests of big business and big corporations at the back of the queue,” Waters said.
Why This Matters Now
Waters’ simultaneous attacks on both major parties reflect the Greens’ strategy to position themselves as the only authentic climate party while Labor governs and the Coalition abandons net zero. The approach aims to capture voters frustrated with what Waters characterizes as fossil fuel industry capture of mainstream politics.
The reference to Labor’s North West Shelf approval provides concrete evidence for Greens claims about the government’s fossil fuel friendliness, potentially resonating with climate-focused voters who supported Labor to prevent a Coalition government.
Waters’ call for Labor to reject Coalition deals on environmental legislation signals the Greens’ willingness to negotiate nature protection laws if the government pivots away from the opposition. The position creates potential leverage for minor party influence on environmental policy.
The acknowledgment that election messaging focused too heavily on defeating Dutton rather than promoting Greens policies suggests potential strategic shifts ahead of the next campaign. Waters’ emphasis on communicating positive policy offerings indicates the party aims to build support beyond simply opposing the Coalition.
Her framing of worsening crises around climate, housing and cost of living positions the Greens as addressing escalating challenges major parties ignore while serving corporate interests. The strategy targets younger voters and progressive demographics frustrated with incremental mainstream party approaches.
The attack on major party fossil fuel donations provides populist framing that characterizes Labor and Liberal climate policy weakness as corruption rather than legitimate disagreement, potentially appealing to voters skeptical of political-corporate relationships.
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