Recorded live at Climate Action Week Sydney, this episode of A Rational Fear dives deep into the rise of the far right, fossil-fuel-funded disinformation, and what it all means for Australia’s climate future and democracy.
Host Dan Ilic is joined on stage by:
Malcolm Turnbull – former Prime Minister, now “concerned private citizen”
Ed Coper – communications strategist and author of Angertainment
Kate Hook – farmer, regional community leader, and two-time community independent candidate (Climate 200 co-convener)
Across this wide-ranging conversation, they unpack:
Why the far right’s culture war is such a serious threat to climate action
How “anger-tainment” media ecosystems (hello Sky News) and social platforms reward disinformation
The inside story on fossil-fuel-backed campaigns, from Clive Palmer to astroturf outfits like “Australians for Prosperity”
The existential crisis inside the Liberal Party and the risks of preferencing One Nation
How regional communities are actually embracing renewables when they control the process and share the benefits
The rise of community independents and why ordinary people, not party machines, are now driving political change
It’s funny, bleak, hopeful, and occasionally unhinged—classic Rational Fear.
Key Topics
Climate politics & the far right
Turnbull on why opposition to climate action has become “religion” rather than economics
How internal Liberal/National dynamics warped energy policy around coal and renewables
“Angertainment” & the media ecosystem
Ed Coper explains how social media rewards outrage and emotional extremes
How a small 7–10% anti-climate minority ends up feeling like 50% of the country
The dangers of amplifying fringe narratives until they look mainstream
Disinformation playbook & fossil fuel money
Coordinated disinformation in the 2025 federal election, including:
~$80m in fossil-fuel-aligned spending
Front groups like Australians for Prosperity attacking pro-climate independents
Intimidatory tactics, rotating party shirts, and creepy “Don’t get hooked” billboards
The global network of think tanks and astroturf groups exporting the same anti-climate tactics to Australia
Liberal Party’s existential crisis
Why Turnbull thinks there are “virtually no moderates” left federally
How chasing One Nation on immigration and culture wars strengthens One Nation, not the Libs
The potential fallout if the Liberals preference One Nation in seats like Farrer
Community independents & regional hope
Kate Hook’s experience campaigning in Calare and working in Hay and other regional communities
How structured community engagement turns hostility toward renewables into enthusiasm when locals control the benefits
The independent “ecosystem”: thousands of volunteers, trusted local messengers, and evidence-based policymaking
The big question: how do we eventually get these independents from the crossbench into government and cabinet?
How to fight disinformation
Turnbull on why “ignore it and don’t give it oxygen” no longer works
The “whack-a-mole” and inoculation approach: pre-bunking lies and relentlessly correcting them
The importance of better stories, not just better facts
Power, agency & what listeners can do
Why grievance parties like One Nation don’t have real solutions—only easy pills for complex problems
Community organizing, local campaigns, and supporting independents as the real counterweight to fossil fuel money
“There’s no cavalry coming over the hill” – why we are the ones we’ve been waiting for
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