Voters are set for their first look at a new advertising campaign asking political parties to commit to maintain renewable energy, public transport and action against climate change after next year's ACT election.
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The new "Go ACT" television advertising campaign, to be launched on Thursday, features six Canberrans speaking out in support of renewable energy policies, divestment from companies involved in fossil fuel production and the ACT government's $783 million light rail line.
Funded by progressive political campaign groups including Get Up, Solar Citizens and trade union backed lobby group Fair Go for Canberra, the ads will run until Christmas on Prime and Win TV as well as on social media platforms.
The ACT election is set for October next year, and Labor and the Greens have preselected candidates. The opposition Liberals will name their candidates in early 2016.
Solar Citizens national director Claire O'Rourke said the new TV campaign had been designed to ask the parties to guarantee ACT voters would be able to choose policies including purchasing 100 per cent of renewable power for the territory by 2025, divestment from government holdings in 60 major fossil fuel companies around the work, investment in bike paths and the city to Gungahlin tram line.
The groups will deliver letters to Chief Minister Andrew Barr, Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson and Greens minister Shane Rattenbury on Thursday, requesting meetings next year to discuss policies ahead of the formal election campaign.
Ms O'Rourke said opinion polling had shown eight in 10 voters in Canberra and around Australia supported renewable energy policies.
"The organisations involved in the campaign are grassroots organisations and we know from our relationships with our members and supporters that there is broad and deep support across the community for the suite of policies that we are campaigning to support.
"We are very optimistic about success because we know there is a crunch point coming with next year's election and all politicians should be very mindful of where the community is at."
The campaign was designed to protect the policies regardless of which party or parties formed government after the election, Ms O'Rourke said.
"We're bringing this to the fore now because we think this is the right time to allow all of the major political parties to affirm well beyond October 2016. We know that this policy framework, particularly renewables and other areas, require certainty so investment can occur so business are sure of what the landscape looks like."
Ms O'Rourke said voters from across the political spectrum were members of the groups involved in the new campaign.
Get Up's clean energy campaigner Miriam Lyons said the ACT was leading the country through the government's efforts to reduce pollution and improve energy supply.
"Voters in the ACT want their city to keep a positive agenda investing in renewables and public transport," she said.
"Political leaders must commit to protecting these big, long-term decisions that are preparing a growing ACT to thrive in a clean energy future."
