Australia has always been a land of bushfires, but usually not in winter. This past month, however, the NSW Rural Fire Service was faced with over 80 significant bushfires. Scientists were reportedly shocked by the scale of the fires and environmental change academics have, unsurprisingly, blamed global warming.
And what did our government do in response to these fires (and related widespread drought)? It decided to continue to play Survivor: The Musical Chairs Edition and knock off another leader — on the basis of his desire to introduce emissions reductions, no less. Good times.
As others have noted, climate change policy has played a key role in the political instability of Australian politics over the last decade. And it has mostly been due to the recalcitrance of our political class in resisting any action that might jeopardise its cosy relationship with the fossil fuel industry.
The only comfort we can take from the bin fire that is Australian politics right now is that Dutton's camp failed so impressively, and the party elected a 'moderate' in the form of the Honourable Scott Morrison.
But what do we know about our former Treasurer, other than the fact that he presided over Australia's offshore gulags for several years as Minister for Immigration? Well, for one thing, we know that he is a devout Christian of the Pentecostal variety. Born and raised in the Uniting Church, Morrison now attends Horizon Church.
Last weekend, the executive pastor of Horizon responded positively to Morrison's elevation to Prime Minister by stating, 'I think that people of faith around the nation are very much filled with hope that someone of Christian faith and principle is holding such a role in public life. I think there is a great hope that decision making will be influenced by godly principles.'
Wouldn't it be great if this were true? Not only would a prime minister who was truly committed to Christian principles immediately close our offshore detention centres and legislate for a just and compassionate policy towards asylum seekers, but such a prime minister would also take immediate, decisive action to mitigate climate change.
"Addressing climate change is thus both an ecological and social justice imperative, which is why it ought to be a priority for our new Christian Prime Minister."
In his 2015 encyclical on ecology, Laudato Si', Pope Francis describes climate change as 'one of the principal challenges facing humanity' and argues that 'living our vocation to be protectors of God's handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience'.
The effects of climate change on the Australian environment are disastrous enough, with bushfires, droughts and other extreme weather events already on the rise. But the global impacts are even more serious.
Poor communities in the global south — particularly those living in the tropics — continue to suffer the brunt of climate change, including increased natural disasters and drought, political instability, and the destruction of livelihoods. The World Health Organisation has also described climate change as 'the greatest threat to global health in the 21st century'.
Addressing climate change is thus both an ecological and social justice imperative, which is why it ought to be a priority for our new Christian Prime Minister.
It is impossible to read the Bible without knowing that Jesus was on the side of the poor. And he didn't advocate for a miserly charity-based approach to poverty. Instead, he demanded that his would-be followers divest themselves of property and wealth, and proclaimed the reduction of inequality and poverty as the fundamental mission of Christianity.
Since we are a secular country, it is also worth noting that the majority of Australians would absolutely support our new Prime Minister in taking action on climate change 'even if this involves significant costs'. We are certainly more concerned about the threat of climate change than we are about asylum seekers crossing our borders.
So when Parliament resumes on 10 September, I hope Morrison leaves his lump of coal at home and takes his values to work. He could start by adopting a 2030 emissions reduction target of at least 50 per cent below 2005 levels, re-upgrading the 2020 renewable energy target, and ensuring that environmental considerations are central to all future development approvals.
To do this, of course, he and his government would need to break up with the fossil fuel industry. So while I might pray, I'm certainly not going to hold my breath.
Dr Cristy Clark is a lecturer at the Southern Cross University School of Law and Justice. Her research focuses on the intersection of human rights, neoliberalism, activism and the environment, and particularly on the human right to water.