Original post 3 December 2024
Updated 13 April 2025
Prasinophobia is an intense and irrational fear of the colour green. One notable sufferer of this phobia is Anthony Albanese, whose symptoms manifest in applying extreme heat to anybody showing pro-green tendencies – even his own environment minister. Tanya Plibersek was well and truly cooked, and rendered almost ineffectual in the last week of parliament for 2024.
Plibersek had secured Greens support for a bill to establish the first national Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a watchdog which would enforce nature regulations, as promised by Labor at the last election. But she dared to appear pro-green in the process.
On hearing about this, Albanese suffered a severe attack. He trashed the deal without informing Plibersek that her bill was dead.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, 27 November 2024:
“This masthead has been told the prime minister did not want a Labor-Greens environment deal that could be weaponised by the federal opposition and the resources sector before the next election, and lead to a potential scare campaign.”
It is not clear whether the plan for the EPA is now definitely dead, but the issue is set to remain live over summer, with Labor’s left faction, of which Plibersek is part, furious the election pledge was shelved until 2025.
Running on her remaining scant reserves of credibility, Ms Plibersek is promising to negotiate “in good faith” across parliament seeking “common sense, co-operation and compromise” before the bill comes back in February.
The PM has refused to undergo medical treatment, and so, the bill seems doomed, and set to close another chapter in Albanese’s chronicle of broken environmental promises.
13 April 2025
On 31 March 2025 came the news:
Albanese renews pledge for federal Environmental Protection Agency
Of course the PM recommitted to the nature watchdog – what else could he do to save face during a campaign to be re-elected?
Albanese has been forced to appear just green enough to seem genuine, but not too green for fear of potential Coalition scare-mongering.
The PM is trying to appease the sizeable constituency of disgruntled Australians deeply concerned about the environment, and minimise voter migration to the Greens and independents in protest. But not convincingly.
And he is trying to appear unafraid of the powerful WA mining interests. But not convincingly. Albanese is clearly mindful of Western Australia’s importance to Labor’s electoral hopes, with that state’s ‘jobs, jobs, jobs’ mindset.
But he had to keep the pledge as low-key as possible to avoid that toxic word ‘green’ being associated with Labor.
Hark! Can you hear Peter Dutton? “Say no to a Labor-Green government.”
Predictably enough, Albanese tip-toed around the nitty gritty, distancing himself from any detail and therefore, controversy.
The promised EPA would not be “the same model” as the one he promised at the 2022 election. Promises, promises!
According to the PM: “That is what we will legislate – something that provides certainty for industry and the way that the processes occur, but also provides for sustainability.” This makes sustainability sound like an also-ran.
Any realist would be convinced that the new plan would be a watered-down version to suit vested interests – if it happens at all – if Albanese wins with a majority, that is.
A Dutton government would be an environmental catastrophe. Labor is less bad, so you would think Mother Nature is counting on a minority Labor government, with the Greens and independents forcing Labor to get on with the crucial task of fixing Australia’s inadequate and flawed environmental laws.
It seems to be natural justice that voters are abandoning the major parties in droves.
Bring on a hung parliament!
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