Climate change protesters float to PM Turnbull's mansion as former leader John Hewson joins rally
Protesters outside Malcolm Turnbull's Point Piper mansion. (AAP Image/Greenpeace/Dean Sewell)
A group of climate change protesters have taken to the water outside Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's Sydney mansion, and former Liberal leader John Hewson has spoken at their rally in Mr Turnbull's seat of Wentworth.
Dr Hewson addressed protesters at the Climate Change Fizza rally today, as the prime minister was on the other side of town launching his pitch for re-election.
Climate change should be a bipartisan issue like defence, Dr Hewson said, and he accused both sides of playing short-term politics on the issue, while protesters labelled Mr Turnbull a "climate fizzer".
"Back in 1993, in my Fightback package, we had an environmental policy which I'm sure nobody read because they got distracted by something called the GST," Dr Hewson said.
"We called for a 20 percent cut to emissions by the year 2000.
"We're still awaiting an explanation as to how we're going to get a five percent reduction by 2020."
Dr Hewson said he was frustrated by the failure of politicians to see the economic opportunities of climate change action.
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Jobs and growth could be achieved through funding renewable energy projects and investing in research, he said.
"I've spent a lot of time in the business community in the past 15-20 years trying to demonstrate that it's good for the economy, for our society, to respond sensibly," Dr Hewson said.
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"I've never understood why, in a world where we desperately need jobs and growth, or so I'm told, that you wouldn't look at the most shovel-ready sector in this country."
Protesters at the park in Double Bay, in Mr Turnbull's seat of Wentworth, held up white coral cut-outs and demanded governments choose the Great Barrier Reef over coal.
Meanwhile, Mr Turnbull was launching the coalition's campaign before a gathering of party faithful in the inner western Sydney seat of Reid.
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