Independent Kate Chaney, backed by Climate 200, has used her first speech to weigh in on whether she would have joined the Liberal Party based on former prime minister Robert Menzies’ vision of “a better distribution of wealth.. . a keener sense of social justice and social responsibility.”
Chaney is the niece of Fred Chaney, a former deputy leader of the party, who has said the political movement has lost its way.
Newly elected federal MP Kate Chaney. Credit: James Brickwood
“Fred Chaney was well-loved on both sides of politics and was ahead of his time and ahead of his party for Aboriginal rights,” the new West Australian member for Curtin said of his uncle, who was deputy leader in 1989 and 1990.
Another uncle, Ross McLean, also served at the party. Chaney noted that McLean, in his first speech, referred to “the importance of marrying free enterprise with social justice.”
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“I am in the extraordinary position of having five family members from the last four generations to serve in Australian parliaments. There is a thread through my family political history of independent thinking,” he said.
Chaney said that while there were a number of issues facing all parliaments, he focused on generational challenges, chief among which, in his view, is climate change.
“Our ability to address climate change depends on a uniquely human attribute. As a species, we have thrived on this planet because of our ability to cooperate and work toward a common purpose as communities,” he said.
“It is this spirit of cooperation that will be needed. The climate bill that was introduced in this house yesterday is a symbolic step in that direction. We have to go further, but we have to start somewhere.”