Former Greens leader and honorary life member of the Australian Conservation Foundation Bob Brown says Prime Minister Albanese should negotiate a climate strategy with the Greens and teals in the new federal parliament.

“Every Green and teal MP was elected with an equal mandate with Labor MPs. It is high-handed and warlike for Anthony Albanese to refuse to negotiate with those MPs voted in by Australians to take stronger action to avert the oncoming tragedies of the climate emergency,” Brown said.

“As a life member of ACF, I am very alarmed that it and the good Greenpeace, as reported in today’s Australian, seem to be backing Labor over the Greens’ and teals’ stronger action commitments and willingness to negotiate. I can understand the Business Council of Australia backing Labor’s strategy but it is passing strange to see these environmental giants in the same camp. Many people who voted for the environment will be stonkered by that line-up,” he said.

“I suspect they have not been fully reported by the Murdoch media which is once again in full flight for coal, gas and forest burning rather than a mature reflection on the growing impacts of the heating atmosphere on every Australian’s wellbeing.”

“PM Albanese may not want to talk with the Greens but he is getting an earful from Pacific Island leaders in Suva about Labor’s weak and unsatisfactory climate change policies, not least its backing of huge coal and gas and deforestation projects.”