AYCC will be joining Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott in this year's election race.

Today the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) launched a national youth-run election campaign in response to Prime Minister Gillard’s announcement that Labor will not reconsider a carbon-trading scheme until at least 2013.

‘We have 53,000 members, who are disappointed that Gillard hasn’t put climate action seriously back on the agenda. Given community backlash after Kevin Rudd shelved the emissions trading scheme, this is a pretty dangerous move’, said AYCC National Director Amanda McKenzie. ‘Our election campaign will mobilise thousands young people to speak to both voters and politicians about the need for stronger climate action.’

In response to Gillard’s announcement yesterday, the AYCC today revealed plans for a nonpartisan campaign driven exclusively by young Australians – the first of its kind in a Federal election. The campaign will bring together hundreds of young people this August for Power Shift 2010, a series of youth summits in key marginal seats. Power Shift will train these young people to do grassroots campaigning throughout August, including doorknocking, meeting their politicians, and holding forums in their schools to talk to their parents about why they should vote for parties committed to taking strong action on climate change.

It also includes a new concept: ‘digital doorknocking’ sessions where young people talk to their friends through SMS and social networking about why they should vote for climate action.
‘Generation Y will make up 20% of the electorate in this year’s Federal Election, they’re also some of the most connected people, able to influence their friends and peers,’ said AYCC General Manager Ellen Sandell. ‘Our campaign will utlise young peoples social connections to influence voters and politicians to take stronger action on climate change, which remains the defining issue of our generation.’

In addition to grassroots campaigning, the AYCC will be working to ensure young people are enrolled to vote – sending mass emails and text messages to their 53,000 young members and physically enrolling people at university campuses across the nation.

‘One in two 18-year olds are not on the electoral roll, but we know from polling that young people are the demographic most concerned about climate change. We are ensuring that young people are correctly enrolled to vote so that they can have their voice heard on the most important issue of our generation,’ said Ms Sandell. ‘In marginal seats which hang on a few hundred or few thousand votes, this could make all the difference to ensure that candidates with strong climate policies are elected.’

The Power Shift summits will be held in Adelaide, Canberra and Geelong on the first three weekends in August. Politicians will attend each Power Shift to defend their climate policies to the hundreds of young people in attendance. Other speakers confirmed include comedian and Good News Week presenter Claire Hooper, IPCC scientist David Karoly, Dan Adams, organiser of the Make Poverty History concerts, and John Thwaites, former Deputy Premier of Victoria.

– If you want to be involved in our election campaign, make sure you’re registered for Power Shift 2010.

The Rudd Government’s announcement to indefinitely shelve the emissions trading scheme has drawn criticism from the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, Australia’s largest youth organisation.

“The Rudd government seems to be attempting to remove climate change from the national agenda,” said Amanda McKenzie, AYCC’s National Director. “But young people want action, not delay. We understand that climate change is much more than a political issue – it is a threat to our future.”

The AYCC’s response will be colourful, innovative and attention-grabbing. Next week, from the 3rd to the 10th of May, the AYCC’s Climate Reality Week will see young people across the nation delivering our leaders a timely reality check: climate change is a reality, and it’s time to start working on solutions.

Events will be happening all around the nation.  Young “construction workers” will be hard at work in Adelaide, warning motorists of the “climate danger ahead.” Scores of young Melbournians will be braving the cold in bikinis and board shorts, creating a beachside scene in the centre of the city and making a point about projected sea level rise. In the nation’s capital, a human sign will spell out a message our political leaders need reminding of: “climate change: it’s real!”

In addition to providing political leaders with a much needed reality check, Climate Reality Week will also empower young people to educate their communities about climate science and solutions, giving them confidence when faced with rising confusion and misinformation caused by climate denialism.

“Young people were a critical demographic in the election of the Rudd government,” said Ms McKenzie. “We want the government to make good their election commitment and create a comprehensive plan to address climate change and build a clean energy economy.”

For media inquiries, contact

Amanda McKenzie 0409 535 437
amanda.mckenzie [at] youthclimatecoalition.org
Level 6, 620 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

-or-

Ellen Sandell 0400 544 754
ellen.sandell [at] youthclimatecoalition.org

For photos from events around the country, check the AYCC Flickr account here.

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The Australian Youth Climate Coalition is a coalition of Australia’s largest youth organisations and over 50,000 young people from across Australia. Our mission to is build a generation wide movement to solve climate change before it’s too late, through bringing about short term political impact and long term cultural change.

Young volunteers will be out in force at polling booths across the electorates of Higgins and Bradfield this Saturday to remind residents to vote for a safe climate.

Members of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition will talk to voters at a number polling booths and hand out the AYCC’s Tomorrow Test, a scorecard that rates each candidate’s climate change credentials.

“The people of Higgins and Bradfield have an incredible opportunity this week,” said James Goldie of the AYCC. “This is the last election in the developed world before the UN climate talks in Copenhagen. Politicians must know that the time for paying lip-service to climate issues has passed.”

The Tomorrow Test scorecard, developed by the AYCC from interviews with candidates, ranks the candidates’ views and policies on climate change. Candidates were graded on the basis of their position on issues such as emissions reductions targets and Government subsidies for big polluters.

The AYCC believes that young people have the most to lose from climate change, James said. “Young people want all political parties to lift their game on climate change. Armed with the Tomorrow Test, the people of Higgins and Bradfield will know which candidates take climate change seriously and which ones are gambling with our future.”

CONTACT
James Goldie 0421 747 208
james.goldie@youthclimatecoalition.org