Candidates for the Victorian election in November have pledged to legislate a Duty of Care that would hold the next government to account for climate harm to children and future generations. Ninety-two candidates have signed the Pollies' Pledge so far, including Greens MPs Ellen Sandell and Gabrielle de Vietri, Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell and independent candidates Sophie Torney (Kew) and Dr Lachlan McKeeman (Benambra).
The pledge lands months after January's fires burnt more than 400,000 hectares of Victoria and destroyed or significantly damaged at least 300 homes. The Insurance Council of Australia declared the fires a catastrophe, with more than 2,600 claims lodged.
Anjali Sharma, lead applicant in the 2021 Federal Court case that found the Environment Minister owed Australian children a duty of care, said:
"The court that overturned our win in 2022 did not dispute the danger. It said protecting us was a matter for politicians. These candidates have put their names to doing that job."
Signatories pledge to enact legislation to hold the next government to account for decisions that will shape the world young people inherit, and to treat the wellbeing of children as a paramount responsibility in decision-making across government.
Dr Lachlan McKeeman, Wodonga GP, Wooragee CFA volunteer and independent candidate for Benambra, said:
"I'm a GP and a father of three, and I was on the fireground here in January. Smoke, heat and the stress of a disaster land hardest on kids. They breathe more air for their size, they can't leave, and they carry it for years. Children are the ones who live longest with the decisions governments make today, and they have no say in them. A Duty of Care means the next government has to ask what a decision does to a child before it makes it."
Georgie Purcell, Animal Justice Party MP for Northern Victoria, said:
"The very first nationwide School Strike 4 Climate occurred in 2018 in Castlemaine, not far from where the devastating bushfires took place earlier this year.
"Those students knew their future was on the line and they were right, but they should never have to fight to be heard while their communities face worsening climate disasters.
"Young people will be the ones who suffer from the consequences of continued political inaction. The decisions we make today will decide their future, and legislating a Duty of Care is just one way that we can hold governments to account."
The pledge is open to any candidate standing on 28 November. The list of signatories is at climatedutyofcare.org.au/pollies-pledge.
"We are asking every candidate on the ballot to sign. Anyone who says they care about young people's future should be able to put it in writing," Ms Sharma said.
