Independents now have the power to influence Australia’s climate change policy for years to come. Here is a review of their positions, as extracted from public statements during the past two years and debates around the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) in the Senate.

Tony Windsor, independent from New England

Two years ago, Tony Windsor introduced a bill aiming for at least a 30 percent cut in emission by 2020 and 80 percent cut by 2050. He has said that climate change “represents a severe and immediate threat to the environment in Australia and globally.”

During the CRPS debates last year, Windsor said the scheme was not tough enough. He also alluded to the importance of biochar, soil sequestration, renewable energy and behaviour changes.

Bob Katter, independent from Kennedy

Katter has backed or dismissed a hodge podge of climate policies. For instance he backs solar hot water, but doesn’t believe change of temperatures can cause ocean rise and harm to sea life and coastal areas.

“I describe myself not as a sceptic but as an ‘anti’,” he during a Parliamentary debate on the CRPS in February. “I do not say it lightly.”

Rob Oakeshott, independent from Lyne

Oakeshott was disappointed when the CPRS did not pass the Senate. He has sought to make emission reduction targets more stringed and cut assistance for trade-exposed large emitters and electricity generators.

He has not, however, sided with either party.

“Neither the government nor the Liberal-National opposition talking the truth about the problems or about the solutions,” Oakeshott has said. “We are witnessing a disgraceful failure of so-called leaders in this country to tell the story of climate change and energy security, and a failure to explain in context why it is in the national interest to put in place a range of energy measures, with one being a price on carbon leading to true pricing in the energy market.”