Australian MP Zali Steggall is launching a national advertising campaign drawing on the summer bushfire crisis to rally public support for her private member's bill on climate change, due to be introduced to parliament later this month.
An independent MP's climate change bill has piqued the interest of Australia's peak industry group, which hopes it will heal political division on the issue.
The woman who toppled Tony Abbott in Warringah at the last election on a platform of climate change action now has the whole parliament in her sights as she seeks bipartisan support for a climate change framework bill aimed at transitioning Australia to a decarbonised economy.
Environmental and civil society groups have warned the government nuclear power has "no role" in Australia as crossbench independents urge it to recognise climate change as a health issue.
The independent candidate told Guardian Australia that Abbott had "continually denied climate change" and the conversation had "moved on" from carbon pricing because renewables were already cheaper than coal.
