Retired anaesthetist and climate activist Dr Lee Coaldrake has been fined $5000 for her role in “disturbing” Queensland parliament during a climate change protest in 2022.
The 71-year-old avoided jail time, pleading guilty to disturbing the legislature on Tuesday. The offence carries a maximum penalty of 3 years imprisonment.
In November 2022, Coaldrake was part of an Extinction Rebellion protest involving 13 other people. The group entered the Queensland parliament’s public gallery, unfurling banners and interrupting Question Time with a number of chants including “end fossil fuels now”. The protest went for about three minutes before security stopped them.
The group included people aged from their 20s into their 80s.
The remaining 13 cases for the others involved in the protest are expected to come before the court in October.
Speaking to reporters outside of court on Tuesday, Dr Coaldrake said “this has all been about climate change”.
“Australia’s got some of the best climate scientists in the world, we need to listen to their increasingly dire warnings. Think about the last year – the hottest year on record, the highest ocean temperatures on record, the fifth mass bleaching of our beautiful Great Barrier Reef which will not survive if we keep on this track,” she said.
“We are facing a global emergency and the major political response is to delay, confuse and obfuscate. The vast majority of our politicians can’t think past the next election, let alone the challenges of the next decades.
“Unless we act now to stem the worst impacts of climate change , we standing here today will be the last generation to expect to die of old age.
“We are truly at a pivotal moment in our history. We are fighting for our children and our grandchildren.”
Asked if she would protest again, Dr Coaldrake replied: ‘Of course. I will protest again”, noting her passion for the issue will not go away.
Dr Coaldrake is married to Peter Coaldrake, the former vice-chancellor of Queensland University of Technology. He previously led a review into accountability of the Queensland government and public service. It was handed down in June 2022.