Environment Minister, Madeleine Ogilvie, mistakenly asserted herself to be the Minister for Climate Change in Parliament today.
Whilst the Minister for the Environment has responsibility for the Climate Change (State Action) Act 2008 under the Administrative Arrangements, this does not make her the Climate Change Minister.
The Liberals scrapped the climate change ministry after taking government in 2014, and again in 2024. It was a clear statement that climate action by their government is not a priority, evidenced by the lack of action since.
If Ms Oglivie doesn’t even know her own ministries, how can she grapple with the wide-ranging changes needed to reduce emissions and ensure the Tasmanian people, environment and economy can adapt to a rapidly changing climate?
It certainly seems like she’s struggling, given emissions across sectors have continued business as usual under her watch.
Given Ms Ogilvie’s apparent enthusiasm for a climate change ministry, we certainly hope she’ll advocate for a reinstated portfolio and start treating climate change with the seriousness this existential threat demands.
