As violence escalates across the Middle East, the human costs of the US and Israel’s illegal attacks on Iran are devastating and rising fast. Lives are being lost and families are being torn apart. It has always been the ordinary people of the Middle East who have paid the heaviest price for coups, illegal wars and occupation in the region. From Iraq to Palestine these wars and genocides have often taken place with the complicity of Western governments, including Australia.
Violations of international law, from targeting civilians and destroying livelihoods, to poisoning the environment and fuelling climate disasters, are the inevitable results of these illegal wars.
The US-Israeli war on Iran has triggered the worst energy crisis in modern history. Australia imports roughly 90% of its liquid fuel, and petrol prices have already jumped more than 50 cents a litre since the start of the war, with only 36 days of petrol supply remaining.
This is a manufactured crisis driven by imperialist aggression, fossil fuel dependency, and decades of inaction. We, the undersigned, demand the following four urgent actions:
- Make peace
- Deliver Free & Frequent Public Transport
- Make Polluters Pay
- Electrify Everything
1. NO WAR: End imperialist aggression and work for peace
Australia must immediately and loudly call for a ceasefire and diplomatic resolution to the conflict. This war was not inevitable; it was a choice made by Trump and Netanyahu. AUKUS is dragging us into conflicts we did not vote for, in the pursuit of foreign policy objectives no one understands, and the agreement must be urgently reassessed. The vast majority of Australians do not support the Iran war – the government must listen to the people, not Washington, choose diplomacy and call for an end to this disastrous war.
2. FREE & FREQUENT & PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Move people and conserve fuel
The most immediate thing that governments can do to reduce oil demand and ease cost-of-living pressure is to make public transport free and much more frequent. Rather than asking individuals to absorb soaring fuel costs, the government must step in with emergency free public transport measures and commit to a long-term program of affordable and expanded services nationwide. This is particularly urgent for outer suburban and regional areas with very limited public transport options, and these areas must be prioritised for service frequency increases. The state governments of Tasmania and Victoria have already announced free public transport; more needs to be done.
3. MAKE POLLUTERS PAY: Tax windfall profits & collect gas royalties
While Australians struggle with fuel prices and cost-of-living pressures, fossil fuel corporations are reaping windfall profits from this war. Increasing the taxation of gas and coal exports, which are expected to attract elevated prices for the duration of the crisis, could provide vital funds for cost-relief and fuel-shift measures. Australia Institute research has found that 56% of gas exported from Australia attracts zero royalty payments. We demand that the Australian Government introduce a gas export tax and tax coal export of companies operating in Australia. The revenue should be directed toward cost-of-living relief for households and the acceleration of the clean energy transition, rather than corporate dividends. Those who profit from war, overconsumption and fossil fuels must pay to clean up the mess they're making. Some of the funds raised should also be allocated to disaster response, recovery and community resilience building.
4. GO ALL ELECTRIC: Speed up the renewable transition off foreign oil
Fossil fuel dependency is not just a climate disaster, it is an economic and security risk for everyday people. We export vast quantities of energy and cannot fuel our own economy. The solution is electrification and energy efficiency. While Australia is making steady progress on renewable energy (with over 40% of the grid now powered by renewables) we lag badly on EV adoption and heavy transport electrification. We demand binding timelines for electrification of transport, industry, and homes. This could be combined with measures to practically reduce energy demand where necessary, ensuring everyone has access to the energy they need. We demand that Australia's people-powered renewable energy capacity is harnessed to ensure this sort of crisis never happens again. The energy is here, the technology is here – what is missing is political courage.
We, the undersigned, call on all levels of Australian Government to act with the urgency this crisis demands: make peace, fund public transport, make polluters pay and electrify everything. We must build our resilience now and into the future for a more sustainable and just world.
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