Conservationists jumped for joy when Mark Dreyfus was elected to the House of Representatives as the member for Isaacs in 2007.

The Division of Isaacs in Victoria covers the south-eastern suburbs from Mentone to Carrum. In March 2006, Dreyfus successfully challenged Ann Corcoran for the position of Labor member for Isaacs pre-selection and went on to defeat Liberal candidate Ross Fox at the 2007 election with a swing of 6.2 per cent. It was one of many Labor victories that culminated in its federal level success.

Prior to venturing into the political landscape, Dreyfus was an influential part of the Australian legal system. A Melbourne-based barrister, he was appointed to the Queen’s Counsel in 1999 and was regarded as one of the best defamation lawyers in Victoria. His passion for environmental matters was evident during this time — preparing him for his current role in climate change.

Dreyfus was a member of the Victorian Planning and Environmental Law Association and in his first political term became a member of the House Standing Committee on Climate Change, Water, Environment and the Arts. He was also actively involved in assisting Indigenous Australians, appearing in the High Court for Stolen Generations litigation. Both the climate and indigenous elements were key focuses that Dreyfus alluded to in his first speech to Parliament.

‘Three strands of my experiences on the way here seem likely to be influences on what I do whilst I am here,’ said Dreyfus. ‘Those experiences relate to working for and with Indigenous Australians, loving the environment of this fragile and beautiful continent, and puzzling over the planning of our urban environments.’

His wisdom and genuine interest in the ever-developing issue of climate change made him a justifiable choice as the Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency in 2010. Dreyfus was responsible for assisting Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Greg Combet in the decision making process for the carbon tax. He was also involved in many other matters of conservation, including the scrapped solar hot water rebate program.

The carbon tax and the overall notion of reducing carbon emissions has consistently been a hot topic throughout Dreyfus’ political career. With the Clean Energy Bill being passed through the Senate in November 2011, Dreyfus and his colleagues took great strides in their pursuit to control and reduce the effects of climate change.

The legislation will commence in July 2012, establishing the framework for a Carbon Price Mechanism (CPM). This involves a fixed price regime for three years, before transforming to an emissions trading scheme with a floating price in the middle of 2015.

Skepticism remains around the theory of climate change and the pending introduction of the CPM. Few have been more vocal in fueling the associated doubts than opposition leader Tony Abbott.

‘The whole point of this tax is to change the way every single Australian lives and works. This is not just a minor bit of financial engineering,’ Abbott says. ‘This is a bad tax based on a lie.’

It is this Abbott campaign against the carbon tax that led to controversial comments from Dreyfus directed at his political counterpart.

Responding to Abbott’s suggestions, Dreyfus described Abbott’s anti-carbon efforts as ‘Goebbellian,’ in reference to Nazi propaganda chief, Joseph Goebbels. Dreyfus later explained his concept as being more focused on the idea of propaganda theory rather than connotations relating to Nazis or Goebbels.

‘It’s intended to refer to people that go out, deliberately spread misinformation and think that if they keep spreading the misinformation it’ll come to be accepted as fact,’ he says.

Dreyfus also found himself in the midst of a heated dispute when he was accused of calling Liberal member Sophie Mirrabella a ‘bitch’ in the parliamentary chamber. The exchange stemmed from a debate over the carbon tax, which led Mirrabella to call Julia Gillard a liar after which she was removed from the chamber.

Dreyfus has been in hot water in more ways than one recently, with frustration surrounding the decision to discontinue the solar hot water rebate program prematurely.

The scheme was designed to promote the reduction of emissions by encouraging households to switch from old electric hot water systems to solar or heat pump systems. The $320 million project was expected to run until June, but was cancelled in late February, creating concerns for employment in the industry.

A bill to reinstate the subsidy was denied by Labor and the Greens, with Dreyfus assuring that despite the criticisms, the best interests of those affected remain at the forefront.

‘I am happy to continue to work closely with you to look at potential ways the available funding continues to support Australia’s solar and heat pump hot water industry to maintain jobs and competitiveness in the short term,’ he said in a letter to Greens leader Christine Milne.

Dreyfus is sure to be kept busy with his quest to put in place the mechanisms which will conserve and ideally improve our environment.

Paul Bastin is a second-year journalism student at La Trobe University.

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