Climate & Coal vs. Coral - An analysis on the Australian Government policy shift concerning the Great Barrier Reef

Abstract

The Great Barrier Reef has lost more than 50 percent of its coral cover and preservation of the Great Barrier Reef is more important than ever in these times of climate change and industrial growth. With the appointment of the new Prime Minster Tony Abbott in 2013, Australia has made a shift in its climate change policies and mining policies, in a way that is concerning for the health of the Reef. In this paper the underlying factors that enabled the shift to happen are investigated. This is done by using a combination of two prominent theories in the field of policy analysis, the Multiple Streams Theory of Kingdon (1995) and the Punctuated Equilibrium Model of Baumgartner and Jones (1991). From these theories empirical questions were distilled to investigate the situation at the time of the policy shift in 2013. Tony Abbott, as policy entrepreneur, and the media, important for the attention, were important in framing climate change in a negative way. The Australian population to be more sceptic on climate change which turned out that they were eventually voting for an climate-sceptic. The election of climate sceptic Tony Abbott resulted mostly in repealing existing policies for climate change, and were more in favour of economic growth especially in the region of Queensland.