You have been widely reported as saying that people in your electorate are not concerned about climate change.

We find it very odd that you should say this for numerous reasons, including the following :

The MidCoast Knitting Nannas, who all reside in your electorate, raised the issue of climate change when we met with you on April 18 last year. You refused to listen to our concerns, or to acknowledge that human intervention has speeded up climate change/global warming.

Your electorate encompasses almost all of the MidCoast Council area. In October 2019, MidCoast Council passed a resolution declaring a climate emergency. Did you somehow miss this announcement? Do you have no communication with local council?

We believe that if you were to ask the people who were affected by the recent fires, who you spoke about so eloquently in your address to parliament on February 4, many would agree with the experts such as Greg Mullins, who have said that the intensity of these fires is a result of climate change.

Has your Taree office failed to mention to you the group of people who have been holding a protest outside there every Friday for the last few months, calling for action on climate change?

We would like to respectfully suggest that you need to spend more time talking to people in your electorate, not just listening to your supporters and the party faithful.

In previous correspondence we advised the Knitting Nannas' commitment to protecting our land, air and water to ensure that our children, grandchildren and generations to come can have a future with a clean and healthy environment, natural beauty and biodiversity. We firmly believe that if this aim is to be achieved, climate change must be addressed. We also indicated our belief that it will take politicians with vision and leadership, and asked if you were prepared to be one of them. We again pose the question - are you prepared to show the necessary vision and leadership, or will you simply continue to follow the party line?

We await your response.

Carol Bennett,

for MidCoast Knitting Nannas Against Gas & Greed