Environmental (Commonwealth Union)_ Australia’s Labor Environment Action Network (LEAN) is intensifying its grassroots efforts ahead of the federal election, rallying behind key pro-nature Labor MPs to push for stronger environmental policies within the party.
LEAN has pledged to support eight “climate and environmental champions” in the upcoming election. It is the largest member-based environmental group within Labor, with approximately 5,000 supporters. The organization will actively promote their environmental credentials, assist with door-knocking, and engage in other grassroots campaign activities.
The MPs and candidates receiving LEAN’s backing include Ged Kearney, Kate Thwaites, and Josh Burns in Victoria; Jerome Laxale and Sally Sitou in New South Wales; Alicia Payne in the ACT; and Josh Wilson in Western Australia. Additionally, LEAN is throwing its support behind Renee Coffey, who is contesting the Greens-held seat of Griffith in Queensland.
LEAN’s unprecedented move to publicly endorse specific candidates follows internal frustrations over Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s decision to delay the establishment of a federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a major Labor election promise from 2022. LEAN had spearheaded efforts to create a national nature watchdog, but after lobbying from miners and Western Australian Premier Roger Cook, the proposal was shelved in November 2023.
Attempts by Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek and Labor backbenchers to revive the plan over the summer were thwarted when Albanese again postponed it until after the election, leaving the future of Labor’s broader nature-positive plan uncertain.
LEAN’s national co-convener, Felicity Wade, emphasized the importance of having strong pro-nature voices within Labor’s caucus. “Quite simply, the parliament needs these people,” Wade said. “Minor parties and independents can shift the debate, but it’s the major parties that define the agenda. That’s why it’s critical we have strong environmental advocates inside Labor’s caucus.”
LEAN members will conduct targeted door-knocking, phone banking, and social media campaigns to amplify the message of these candidates. Although the group will raise funds for these efforts, it will not directly donate to any candidates.
The campaign will particularly focus on three key races:
- • Bennelong (NSW): Due to a recent boundary redistribution, Jerome Laxale’s seat has become a top priority, with a nominal Liberal margin of just 0.04%. The newly drawn electorate now includes suburbs like Lane Cove and Greenwich, which leaned heavily toward climate-focused independent Kylea Tink in 2022.
- Canberra (ACT): Alicia Payne’s seat will also see concentrated grassroots mobilization.
- Griffith (QLD): Renee Coffey is vying to unseat the Greens in a battle over environmental policies.
Laxale, one of LEAN’s supported MPs, reaffirmed his commitment to advancing Labor’s climate agenda, stating, “This is Labor policy. I want to make sure that a Labor government enacts Labor policy.” He also emphasized the urgency of setting a 2035 emissions reduction target and finalizing reforms to the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
Labor’s environmental credibility is expected to be a central issue in the upcoming election, particularly as the Greens aim to capitalize on the party’s failure to deliver promised environmental reforms. The Greens are prepared to position nature protection as a crucial battleground, emphasizing Labor’s stagnant EPA legislation as a squandered chance.
With climate and environmental issues becoming increasingly decisive for voters, LEAN’s grassroots mobilization could play a crucial role in shaping both the election outcome and the future direction of Labor’s environmental policies.
