Where in Australia is Mark Butler?

Joe Hockey recently proclaimed that the best day in Opposition was the first – from there it is supposed to be all downhill. From the opposite benches it seems the reverse. Waking to the realisation of three years (or more) in the political wilderness, it seems a long, slow climb back to relevance.

Following the serious defeat suffered in the September federal election, most Labor MPs have been keeping a low profile over the first few months. In contrast, the Abbott government has been fast out of the blocks with a welter of policy announcements (and a fair few policy missteps).

Environment Minister Greg Hunt has kept a relatively low profile trying to minimise controversy over whaling, dredging affecting the Great Barrier Reef, and a series of decisions to allow mining projects to advance. He has delivered the promised Green Paper on climate change but, in the process, answered few of the big unknowns about the exact shape and form of Direct Action.

Behind the scenes his department is doing a lot of work to try to translate his past policy commitments into practical steps capable of being implemented. The government needs to detail how Direct Action will work and how the transitional problems and retrospective claims can be resolved. Labor remains committed to opposing the repeal of its legislation – although it is open to bringing forward the date for moving to a low, flexible price. The government has scorned this compromise as it pressures for total repeal.

Labor’s Shadow Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water, Mark Butler comes into the role with a big job ahead. He has represented Port Adelaide since 2007 and comes from the Left of the ALP. His previous portfolios were Mental Health, Social Inclusion and Housing before taking up his current portfolios as minister for the two months of the second Rudd government. He has degrees in arts and law from the University of Adelaide and a Master of International Relations from Deakin University.

Labor’s previous minister for climate change, and the architect of emissions trading, Greg Combet resigned last July. Former parliamentary secretary for climate change, Yvette D’Ath was defeated in the federal election and is now trying to reboot her political career by standing in the Redcliffe byelection for the Queensland Parliament being held on February 22.

In an interesting move, Butler has decided to start the task of reviewing Labor’s policy via a road show to talk to people. In a series of local meetings over the coming weeks he is talking to local groups and getting feedback on the public mood on where the climate change debate should head next.

Butler told a recent Brisbane meeting: “The most valuable thing I found as a federal minister was to go out to forums and talk to people across Australia about what they thought we should be doing. So, in this very early part of being in opposition, I wanted to have forums like this to really understand this critically important portfolio.”

His first meetings were in Brisbane, Byron Bay and Newcastle last week with further meetings planned after the first sitting week of Parliament.

Butler highlighted key developments in the climate debate over the last six months including: the latest report from the IPCC; the conference of the parties in Poland; Australia’s 'loss of international standing'; a new Parliament dominated by climate change politics; legislation to repeal virtually all Australia’s existing climate policies; and the hottest calendar year in Australia with frequent extreme weather events.

“It's been rough, it's been going fast and there have been lots of sharp turns,” he said.

“The IPCC's last report shows that what they said was going to happen is already happening. The temperature is increased by about 0.9 per cent across the globe since industrialisation. Oceans are rising at twice the rate across the globe as they did in the 20th century, oceans are absorbing lots of the excess carbon dioxide so they're becoming warmer, and polar ice is starting to melt which is causing oceans to rise and oceans are becoming more acidic, which we know is a particular problem for coral reefs, like the Great Barrier Reef. There is consensus about this. And it's having a very real impact.”

The challenge for Labor is how to re-engage the public in the debate. Opinion has splintered between those fervently for and against taking action. The increasingly technical and vitriolic nature of the argument leaving a growing majority in the “confused middle” of voters.

While there was a good turn-up for the Brisbane meeting, it mostly comprised people already committed to climate action. The disinformation campaign run by climate sceptics has successfully muddied the waters and exhausted the patience of many who want to “move on” to other issues.

The challenge for Labor is how to re-engage the general public, demonstrate the benefits and progress made as a result of the Clean Energy Package and formulate a range of measures to rebuild a national strategy. Their first challenge, however, remains how to defeat the Coalition’s new round of attacks on the Renewable Energy Target, solar tariffs and energy conservation policy.

Andrew Herington is a former Labor adviser and freelance writer.