Cassy O'Connor MP | Greens Leader and Climate Change spokesperson
The Paris Agreement to curb global emissions in the hope of limiting warming to less than 2 degrees, comes into effect today, but the Australian Government has yet to ratify it and the Tasmanian Government has yet to present a plan.
175 nations have signed up to the Paris agreement, but Australia continues to drag its heels on formal ratification.
Tasmania is also demonstrating itself to be a climate laggard.
Here, on an island with vast carbon stores in the landscape and huge opportunities to contribute towards cleaner power on the mainland, the apparent refusal to deal with climate change is a sad feature of the Liberal Government.
On taking office, Premier Hodgman axed the Climate portfolio and dismantled the Independent Climate Action Council.
Tasmanians are still waiting for a renewable energy security plan from the Liberals after the devastating droughts of last Spring and Summer.
There is the recent threat to log 357 000 hectares of carbon-rich native forest, and a plan to burn forests for energy in complete denial of the science on biomass.
There is still no plan from the Liberals to deal with traffic congestion and transport emissions by investing in active and public transport in major centres.
We are still waiting... waiting... for the Liberal Government to release its climate action plan, promised last year and still nowhere in sight.
The Paris Agreement requires every signatory State to take meaningful action to move towards zero emissions and a safe climate.
Perhaps taking a lead from their climate-denying and wilfully damaging colleagues in Canberra, the Hodgman Liberals still show no sign of taking seriously their responsibility to lead mitigation and adaptation efforts across the State.
Almost three quarters of the way into this term of government, the Liberals are proving themselves to be a party unprepared to show any leadership on climate.
They are on the wrong side of history and will stand condemned by future generations.