The recommendation of a government-controlled Senate Committee against passing the Duty of Care Bill is as predictable as it is disheartening.

The report sets out incredibly weak arguments for the rejection of the Bill. It points to broadly defined terms as a smokescreen to cover up its true intention - to avoid accountability, to avoid scrutiny, to avoid this duty. If the government were as committed to intergenerational equity as they purport to be, these arguments would be recommendations for amendments to the bill, not reasons to put it in the "too-hard basket”.

This is yet another blow to a generation quickly losing faith in our country’s highest institutions. When Australia’s Federal Court was asked to establish this duty of care under common law, it explicitly handed this responsibility over to the Federal Parliament. With the government also relinquishing this responsibility, in a climate crisis, who do young people look to? Who can we expect to stand up for our rights?

We have garnered 15,000 signatures on our petition. The public inquiry into the Duty of Care Bill received 403 submissions, with only one submission openly against. We have the support of the health sector, legal experts, young people, the crossbench, and some of the government’s own politicians. But our campaign has exposed a grim reality. A proposal can have such substantial support, and the major parties will still drag their feet. What does this say for our democracy?

The Albanese Government came to power with a mandate to lead, not to preside over the existing state of affairs. Securing the future that young people deserve will require action and ambition, not the status quo. In endorsing the status quo and rejecting the Duty of Care, this government Bill is relinquishing its responsibility to enact meaningful reform and safeguard the wellbeing of current and future generations.

This bill will be voted on, and we intend to keep the pressure on the government until that moment.  They will, in front of the whole country, be forced to choose between placing themselves on a unity ticket with the former government, who also argued against this duty of care, or enshrining it in legislation.

We're still fighting, and we'll continue to need your support. Sign the petition on the homepage and share it around to family, friends and networks, and send an email to your MP calling on them to support the Duty of Care bill.