There is an important political moment in Australia right now. A tiny sliver of an opening in the brick wall of climate change denial in our government.

If you are interested in some background, this podcast is a fascinating conversation between Malcolm Turnbull and Guardian journalists Lenore Taylor and Katharine Murphy about the climate denial in the right wing of the Liberal party and at News Corp.

The spotlight is on the Morrison government for their inaction on climate change, and not just in Australia. It was only in December, at the latest round of climate talks in Madrid, that Australia was a major blocker of stronger action on climate change, working in collaboration with countries like Brazil and Saudi Arabia.

This summer’s bushfire crisis has received widespread international coverage, and even the arch-conservative UK commentator Piers Morgan has ridiculed our government for their climate denial.

So far, unfortunately, Morrison appears unmoved by any public pressure, and Anthony Albanese’s capitulation to coal when he recently backed the coal export industry, has shown yet again, that both major parties are as equally beholden to the political power of the fossil fuel sector, and that the only way we get stronger climate action in Australia is through a bipartisan approach.    

Independent MP Zali Stegall has said she will introduce a Climate Change bill before Parliament in March.

There are some moderate MPs inside the Liberal and National parties who are beginning to speak out publicly. Paula Matthewson, in the New Daily, suggests that there are 10 Liberal and at least one Nationals MP “who could be persuaded to speak out on the need for climate action – either because the majority of their electorates believe the same, or because they have little to lose.”

I’ve added two more MPs to this list, because they are members of the Parliamentary Friends of Climate Action.

Even though you might not be a voter in their electorate, we should all contact these MPs urging them to push harder within their parties for far stronger action to reduce carbon emissions.

They need to know they have widespread public support.

Here is the list of MPs, and their email addresses, and at the end, a draft of what I wrote to them. 

Dave Sharma – Dave.Sharma.MP@aph.gov.au

Steve Irons – steve.irons.mp@aph.gov.au

Fiona Martin – Fiona.Martin.MP@aph.gov.au

Katie Allen –  Katie.Allen.mp@aph.gov.au

Jason Falinski – Jason.Falinski.MP@aph.gov.au

Angie Bell – angie.bell.mp@aph.gov.au

Jason Wood – Jason.wood.mp@aph.gov.au

Trevor Evans – Trevor.Evans.MP@aph.gov.au

Warren Entsch – warren.entsch.mp@aph.gov.au

Russell Broadbent – Russell.Broadbent.MP@aph.gov.au

Tim Wilson – Tim.Wilson.MP@aph.gov.au

Trent Zimmerman – Trent.Zimmerman.MP@aph.gov.au 

Update

I sent all the emails and received a similar response from each, which essentially said that if you are not in the electorate of that MP “your views will be noted, but will not always receive a response.”

So I’m going to send the same message in a physical letter.