Launceston's youth have turned out in force to make their voices heard on climate change at Friday's School Strike 4 Climate rally at Riverbend Park.
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With a mixture of students and members of the public, the protest was notably lacking Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who had arrived in Launceston early in the morning.
Tasmanian Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson claimed the Mr Morrison had been invited to attend the rally, but his absence was telling.
"If Scott Morrison really cared about the future of Tasmania and this country, the future jobs and these school kids, he'd come here today and explain why he is putting tens of billions of dollars ... into the fossil fuel industry," he said.
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"He should be here today facing the future generations who are going to cop it in the neck if we don't [act] soon so it is a missed opportunity."
Liberal Bass MHR Bridget Archer was also in attendance at the strike, but said she was unaware whether the Prime Minister had been invited.
"I am not aware [whether] he was invited or not. I did spend some time with him this morning and I understand that he has gone through to Braddon this afternoon so that's a matter for the Prime Minister," she said.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister's office said it was understood Mr Morrison was not invited to the Launceston rally.
Thousands of students across Australia left their classrooms on Friday afternoon to take part in the strike, with a few hundred taking part in Launceston.
Event coordinator Esther Godfrey said she hoped the message for climate action would be heard by politicians at a national level.
"We're hoping the main thing is that people will actually just listen. A lot of people hear about it, but we want people to not just hear, but listen to what we're saying and pay attention," she said.
"I think some politicians do listen, but that's the minority. I think that often it's the kind of thing that kids should be seen but not heard.
"We wouldn't be doing this if we didn't do the research, if we didn't pay attention to what's happening."
Ms Godfrey wanted to see quick action on climate change and fossil fuels from the federal government.
"I think that some quick action needs to be done, we rely too much on fossil fuels in this country, we are one of the biggest producers of greenhouse gasses around the world we need to cut back," she said.
"It's just not feasible anymore, it reaches a point where we can't justify it, it's too much."
Ms Archer said she planned to take the student's concerns to Canberra to ensure their voices were heard.
"I'll continue to have those conversations, I am always happy to meet directly with young people or anybody to talk about those issues," she said.
"I think there is always a view that more could be done and I think, personally, there is always more that can be done but here today, I am here to listen to what people have to say."
Mr Whish-Wilson said the turnout at Friday's protest showed young people were "disgusted" about "lack of action" on climate change ahead of a federal election next year.
"Behind us today, we have young people who have come out to protest for their future, they're disgusted just as much as I am and I know a lot of Australians are about this government's lack of action on climate change," he said.
"This federal election will probably be early and this election has to be an election on climate change ... this could arguably be one of the most important election's in our nations history."
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