Michael Daley tells kids its OK to skip school and join climate change rally

Updated

NSW Labor leader Michael Daley has used his National Press Club address to tell students its OK to skip school and attend a climate change rally, saying the world is at a "real crossroads".

Key points: The NSW Labor leader says school children have a democratic right to protest

This Friday's global Climate Strike follows on from the November protest

Mr Daley also laments the shortage of young people entering public life

Ahead of the March 23 election, Mr Daley pitched himself as the alternate Premier, telling the audience about his core beliefs and Labor's key policies.

However it was his comments on the upcoming global climate change protest, which is set for Friday, that generated interest from the audience.

Mr Daley told the Press Club school children "don't have a microphone" and "don't have money like the big end of town".

"They do have a democratic right to assembly, they do have a right to protest," Mr Daley said.

"I support these young people and their action."

The global Climate Strike protest follows on from the November protest which saw thousands of school children across the country rally to demand action on climate change.

The New South Wales Labor leader told the Press Club audience that younger generations were going to inherit a planet that was "at best precarious".

During the event — which Premier Gladys Berejiklian declined to take part in — Mr Daley also lamented the shortage of young people entering public life.

"It's a demonstration of young leadership, leadership that we need badly," he said.

"I believe that events such as Friday are formative for our future leaders."

Climate change and environmental issues have traditionally been viewed by voters as a federal issue, but Labor and Liberal polling shows it is well and truly on the state political agenda in New South Wales.

When questioned by a journalist as to why he would advocate a "breach of the law" by encouraging students to skip school so close to an election, Mr Daley said "you have to shake the tree a little bit" — even if it drew criticism.

"I think there is a great opportunity for young people on Friday to realise their own personal power," he said.

"I might be criticised for backing them in but... we need them, we need their messages to be heard up the tree, so the grown-ups can listen to their disappointment and their criticism of our lack of leadership."

Mr Daley reiterated that if Labor is elected he will appoint the state's first Minister for Climate Change to "to lead our state's fight to protect the future of our children and their children".

"The people of New South Wales have a clear, unequivocal choice. They can vote for Labor, a party committed to tackling climate change, or they can vote for Liberals and Nationals, who dare not even speak its name."

Both Liberal and Labor polling shows environment as being among the top five topics for voters at the NSW election.

The Coalition has a target for NSW to have zero net emissions by 2050.

Topics: state-elections, climate-change, government-and-politics, elections, schools, children, sydney-2000, nsw

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