Opps, There Goes the Lifestyle! Are Happy Labor Voters Ready to Face the Ramifications of 70 Percent Emissions Reductions by 2035? By James Reed
Labor's green crusaders are at it again, drunk on their election win and ready to shove Australia off an economic cliff. Fresh off Anthony Albanese's landslide victory on May 3, 2025, the Labor Environment Action Network (LEAN), a 5,000-strong eco-warrior clique, is demanding a 70-plus percent emissions cut by 2035 and so-called "nature positive" laws within a year. They're calling it a mandate from climate-conscious voters, but let's call it what it is: a reckless fantasy that'll gut the economy, jack up energy prices, and make life miserable for the very Aussies who just handed Labor 85 seats in the House. So, congratulations, Labor voters—hope you're ready to trade your barbecues and road trips for candlelit dinners and pushbikes, because this green utopia comes with a price tag you weren't told about on election night.
LEAN's Felicity Wade, the cheerleader for this madness, insists on a "seven in front" of the 2035 emissions target, meaning at least 70 percent below 2005 levels. Sounds noble, right? Save the planet, hug a tree, all that jazz. But here's the dirty secret: even the Climate Change Authority, the government's own advisors, haven't settled on a number yet, and experts are already sweating over Labor's existing 43 percent target by 2030. Why? Because getting 82 percent of electricity from renewables by the end of this decade is looking like a pipe dream. Coal and gas plants are still running flat-out, and the grid's creaking under the weight of intermittent wind and solar. Now LEAN wants to nearly double the ambition in just 10 years? Good luck with that!
The math doesn't add up, and neither does the reality. Regional communities, where coal and gas jobs keep towns alive, are already bristling at the "social licence" challenges Wade casually mentions. Translation: people in the bush aren't thrilled about losing their livelihoods to appease inner-city greenies. X posts are buzzing with warnings about "energy poverty" and the "destruction of energy-reliant industries" under Labor's net-zero obsession. One user put it bluntly: Australia's on the "road to financial ruin" with these targets. And they're not wrong. The 70 percent goal isn't just ambitious, it's a suicide pact for industries like mining, manufacturing, and agriculture, which employ hundreds of thousands and bankroll the nation's wealth.
LEAN's patting itself on the back for swinging eight seats—Bennelong, Macnamara, Griffith, and others, by wooing climate voters with leaflets, doorknocks, and "kitchen table conversations." They even targeted teal voters in Sydney's Greenwich, helping MP Jerome Laxale mop up 67 percent of the vote in key booths. Their pitch? Labor's "climate champs" like Laxale, Josh Burns, and Ged Kearney are better than Greens or independents because they can push green policies from inside the tent. But let's not kid ourselves: this was a hustle, not a mandate. Labor's broader campaign leaned hard on cost-of-living relief and Medicare cards, not apocalyptic emissions cuts. Voters who backed Albanese for cheaper groceries and doctor visits didn't sign up for a lifestyle overhaul that'll make driving to work or turning on the AC feel like a luxury.
Wade's crew might have 5,000 members, but they're a drop in the bucket compared to the millions who voted Labor for stability, not green dogma. Yet, with the Left faction now dominating caucus, LEAN's got an outsized megaphone. They're already flexing, promising to back MPs who pressure Albanese to go harder on climate. This isn't democracy, it's a green mafia holding the government hostage, rewarding "noisy" MPs who trash gas projects and stall economic growth. And Albanese, fresh off his "win for the ages," seems too spineless to push back. No doubt he supports this Leftist nonsense.
What does 70 percent by 2035 actually mean for Australia? Start with energy prices. Renewables sound nice, but they're unreliable without massive subsidies and backup from gas or coal. The government's already struggling to roll out enough wind farms and solar panels for the 2030 target, and transmission lines are sparking fights with farmers who don't want their land carved up. Now imagine scaling that up to hit 70 percent in a decade. You're looking at blackouts, skyrocketing bills, and a grid that collapses when the wind doesn't blow. It is a recipe for energy poverty.
Then there's industry. Australia's mining sector—coal, iron ore, lithium—powers the economy and global supply chains. A 70 percent cut means slashing output or forcing companies to adopt unproven, expensive tech like carbon capture. Manufacturing? Kiss it goodbye unless you want to pay triple for steel or cement. Agriculture's not safe either, cows and sheep are already in the crosshairs for methane emissions. Farmers, already battered by drought and trade wars, will face new taxes or quotas that could drive them off the land. And don't forget transport: higher fuel costs and electric vehicle mandates will hit tradies, truckers, and anyone who needs to drive further than a city block.
The kicker? Labor's own track record shows they can't deliver. Albanese promised environmental law reforms last term but botched it, caving to squabbles between green groups and business. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), their shiny "green cop," was killed off by Albanese himself after Tanya Plibersek's deal with the Greens fell apart. Now LEAN's demanding the EPA and "nature positive" laws in 12 months, claiming it'll be "good for productivity." Sure, and I've got a bridge to sell you in Melbourne. These laws will bury businesses in red tape, delay projects, and scare off investors, all while doing zilch for the environment if the grid's still burning coal to keep the lights on.
Labor voters, you thought inflation was bad? Wait until this green crusade hits your wallet. Energy bills will soar as coal plants are mothballed before renewables can fill the gap. Want to fly to Bali for a holiday? Good luck affording the carbon taxes. Regional towns will hollow out as jobs vanish, forcing families to move or scrape by. Even your weekly shop will sting, higher transport and production costs will push up prices for everything from bread to beer. And don't expect Labor to cushion the blow; their $9.7 billion for Perth's Metronet and childcare centres won't mean much when you're choosing between heating and eating.
LEAN's Wade admits there are "serious challenges" in the regions, but she shrugs it off because it "didn't impact" the election. Easy to say when you're sipping lattes in Melbourne's Macnamara, not watching your town die in the Pilbara. This is class warfare dressed in green: urban elites dictating terms to working-class Aussies who'll bear the brunt.
Perhaps the most galling part is Labor's war on gas. LEAN's "climate champs" openly trashed the government's Future Gas Strategy, which sensibly called for new gas fields to back up renewables. Gas is a transition fuel, cleaner than coal, reliable when solar and wind flake out. But LEAN's MPs, egged on by their 26 "kitchen table" chats in Griffith, would rather let the grid collapse than admit gas has a role. This isn't principle; it's dogma. Western Australia's Labor government, which relies on gas revenue, even opposed the EPA push, but LEAN doesn't care. They're too busy pandering to teal voters in Sydney's North Shore to notice the economic carnage they're unleashing.
Albanese knows this 70 percent target is a political landmine. His first term was marred by inflation, energy bill hikes, and the failed Voice referendum, yet he squeaked through thanks to a weak opposition and anti-Trump sentiment. Now, with the Left faction running the show and LEAN breathing down his neck, he's got no spine to say no. On Monday, he mumbled about an EPA that "supports industry and sustainability," but his track record screams failure. He's already caved to LEAN's demands for more green MPs in caucus, and with factional fights over ministerial spots, he's too busy playing peacemaker to notice the economy's about to take a nosedive.
Labor's 70 percent emissions target isn't a plan, it's a wrecking ball. It'll torch jobs, spike prices, and turn Australia into a green guinea pig while China and India keep burning coal like there's no tomorrow. Voters who cheered Albanese's Medicare card theatrics didn't sign up for this. They wanted relief, not a lifestyle tax that'll make the 1970s oil crisis look like a picnic. LEAN's 5,000 activists might have swung a few seats, but they don't speak for the millions who'll pay the price. If Albanese buys this green fever dream, he'll be handingLiberals a comeback story by 2028. So, Labor voters, enjoy your victory lap, because when the lights go out and the bills roll in, you'll be asking, "What the hell did we vote for?"
"Labor's environmental wing is pushing Anthony Albanese to adopt a 70-plus per cent emissions-reduction target for 2035 and pass nature positive laws within a year, after the group helped re-elect MPs as a "reward" for opposing the expansion of gas and championing the green cause within the first term of the Labor's government.
With the Prime Minister's Left faction having a majority of MPs in federal caucus for the first time, Labor Environment Action Network convener Felicity Wade said the environment needed to be a top priority for a second-term Albanese government given support the party received from climate-conscious voters.
After the group of 5000 members poured resources into helping win the environment vote in eight seats, including Bennelong in Sydney, Macnamara in Melbourne and Griffith in Brisbane, Ms Wade said the big majority won on Saturday was an opportunity for the government to undertake major reforms to protect the "natural environment".
Ms Wade said having more environmental advocates within caucus was a "pretty key tactic for us", signalling the group would help campaign for MPs at the next election who pressured Mr Albanese on the issue.
"We are hoping we get the nature positive laws done and dusted within 12 months so that we deliver for both business and environment," she said.
"Fast and clear approvals would be good for productivity and good for the environment."
With Labor yet to settle on a 2035 emissions-reduction target later this year after receiving advice from the Climate Change Authority, Ms Wade said the body backed a commitment to lower emissions by at least 70 per cent of 2005 levels by 2035.
There are some climate and energy experts who argue that the government will struggle to meet its 43 per cent by 2030 target, given the difficulty of meeting the key goal to generate 82 per cent of electricity from renewables by the end of the decade.
"We'd like to see a seven in front of that (2035) target," Ms Wade said.
"We are aware that the task of implementation is harder than the task of plucking numbers out of the air.
"There are still serious challenges that have to be addressed around … social licence, people are finding it hard in the regions to have the transition changes. But clearly it didn't impact the outcome of Saturday night."
The call from LEAN comes amid a stoush within the Right faction over how to accommodate an extra minister from the now-dominant Left, with faction bosses in discussions on Tuesday about whether a NSW Right male minister would be chopped in a move that could threaten Industry Minister Ed Husic or Education Minister Jason Clare.
However, the NSW Right is fiercely resisting being downsized and instead arguing the hit should come from Victoria through the Left filling the vacancy from the retirement of Bill Shorten.
Labor MPs will meet in Canberra on Friday to vote on the make-up of the ministry – with portfolios to be decided next week — which will increase the number of both female and Left faction MPs to 50 per cent.
While LEAN had traditionally spent most of its energy lobbying within Labor for stronger ambition on the environment and climate change, the group at this election threw its resources behind seven MPs who spoke out on green issues within party meetings.
The "climate and environment champs" given the "seal of approval" by LEAN were Bennelong MP Jerome Laxale, Macnamara MP Josh Burns, Reid MP Sally Sitou, Cooper MP Ged Kearney, Jagajaga MP Kate Thwaites, Canberra MP Alicia Payne and Fremantle MP Josh Wilson. The support also extended to Griffith candidate Renee Coffey, who is a member of LEAN.
Mr Wilson is the only LEAN-backed candidate who has not yet secured victory. He is locked in a tight battle with a climate-focused independent in the Perth seat of Fremantle.
LEAN volunteers dropped leaflets in letterboxes, doorknocked and sent direct mail to 20,000 people in Bennelong as well as advertising in electorates through posters, street stalls and corflutes.
LEAN volunteers would tell voters in the target seats that the MPs were examples of climate and environmental campaigners working within a Labor government who could make a bigger difference than someone from a minor party or an independent.
There were different tactics used by volunteers depending on the electorate.
In the former Greens-held seat of Griffith, there were 26 "kitchen table conversations" in Greens-dominant suburbs where locals invited neighbours to hear Ms Coffey argue the case for the need for environmental advocates within Labor.
In Bennelong, the focus was on suburbs with a high number of teal voters that were brought into the seat following the abolition of North Sydney.
"We spent most time in Greenwich, the strongest teal vote area — Jerome won that booth 67 per cent (on a two-party preferred basis)," Ms Wade said.
"Jerome won every booth in our target area, bar Hunters Hill."
Ms Wade said the LEAN-backed MPs and candidates had pushed for more action on the stalled environment laws, including the creation of an Environmental Protection Agency that was opposed by the West Australian Labor government.
She said some of the MPs also spoke out against the government's Future Gas Strategy, which advocated opening new gas fields to support the increasing role of renewables.
"They were constantly noisy and energetic within both the caucus, within the internal committees … talking to the leadership about how important these issues were to them," Ms Wade said.
"The gas strategy was a point where some of them said the emphasis of this message isn't cool.
"A number of them worked really hard on trying to get the nature laws over the line.
"(The government had) an incredibly busy agenda but these people kept pushing environment and climate up the list.
"We wanted to reward them. We wanted there to be some reward for sticking their necks out."
Mr Albanese went to the last election vowing to reform environmental laws but was accused of achieving virtually nothing on the issue, due to disagreements between green groups and business.
The Prime Minister was accused of intervening to kill a proposed deal on establishing the EPA – a new green cop – between Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek and the Greens.
On Monday, Mr Albanese said he was committed to creating an EPA that "supports industry but also supports sustainability"
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