Riverina MP Michael McCormack has downplayed the significance of climate change in the upcoming federal election, despite it being named as the number one issue for regional voters.
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The national reader's survey conducted by Australian Community Media (ACM) canvassed the views of more than 7200 readers across regional Australia.
The survey found environment and climate change was the most important issue for 43 per cent of responders, followed by health, leadership, the federal corruption commission and the handling of the COVID pandemic.
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Mr McCormack acknowledged climate change as "an important issue" but said the wider community would be more concerned about the cost of living, national security and COVID.
"Readers with an angst or particular cause they want to push will respond to a survey but many others are just going on with their everyday lives," he said.
The former deputy prime minister, who has confirmed he will recontest the Riverina seat, noted the other top responses to the survey.
With regards to the pandemic, Mr McCormack argued the government had managed COVID "incredibly well" compared to the rest of the world.
He also warned those pushing for the federal anti-corruption commission that some proposals for such a bill could lead to decisions being made by "faceless Canberra bureaucrats" rather than elected officials.
"At the end of the day the only important survey is the ballot box," he said.
Once again hoping to shake things up in the federal election is Labor candidate Mark Jeffreson, who secured 30 per cent of the two-party preferred vote in 2019.
Mr Jeffreson said the prominence of climate change as an election issue in the eyes of ACM readers was likely due to "sheer weight of evidence".
"We've got bushfires and floods all around the world and they're more virulent and they last longer every time they come," he said.
"The science says that's because of the changes occurring with the climate which aren't going to wind back unless we do something."
Mr Jeffreson said the only way to address this issue was to support the moves to renewable energies.
The business consultant said, anecdotally, he felt the rising cost of living was the most important election issue among Riverina voters, especially as the price of essentials such as petrol and groceries continues to skyrocket.
Independent candidate Pennie Scott has built her campaign on the push for a better climate change response and said she was not at all surprised by the survey's findings.
"From having conversations with people who live in the Riverina electorate ... the one issue that hits the top of the pops is the National Party's complete lack of respect and action on mitigating climate change," she said.
"There's no action at all and the National Party's attitudes are completely in contrast with the majority of Australians."
The Cowra farmer also understood the importance of managing the recovery from COVID for ACM readers, given how the pandemic had left some rural communities "cleaved in half".
"It has been a very divisive pandemic and one thing people have expressed to me is the complete lack of leadership from the government to recover economically and socially," she said.
Liberal Democrats candidate Dean McCrae was contacted for comment.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has yet to call an election but it will need to take place before May 21.
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