The hum of air-conditioners and the chatter of end-of-days memes at Climate Cafes across Canberra are getting noticeably louder as data reveals that swing voters' climate fears may be the key to unlocking ministerial action on climate change. It seems like nothing gets our politicians actively engaged in their jobs and responsibilities quite like the fear of losing 'swing voters' does. Bob Green, a climate scientist at the University of New South Wales, has carried out extensive research into climate change and its expected impact on Australia. When asked about the recent shift in attitude towards the environment among some politicians, Green sighed and said, "It took a few bushfires, a global pandemic, and a bunch of memes to get the politicians even remotely close to acting on climate change. And it's still questionable." This striking revelation in voter sentiment seems to have set off a frenzy among our nation's leaders, who now reluctantly acknowledge that the environment may also play a crucial role in securing votes, in addition to their strategic pre-election budget handouts and finger-pointing at either side of the political spectrum. Smokey Newman, an employee at the Department of the Environment and Energy, revealed that talks of a silent auction for sourcing renewable energy subsidies were heard in the department's lunchroom. "We are sitting on a gold mine of swing voter angst," said one employee while munching on a single-use plastic container of steamed broccoli. "It's as precious as the coal we desperately need." Even the most apathetic of politicians can't deny the blatant thermometer-twisting that's happening right in front of their eyes. One unnamed source within a major party admitted, "Climate change is now part of the game. We can use it to lure in those indecisive voters, alongside immigration and handouts." Acts of relentless and targeted campaigning are also evident in social media as political pundits from across-the-board are shedding crocodile tears for the environment. Making vague promises to "safeguard the Earth" for generations to come, their platforms now feature innovative, never-before-seen propositions, such as granting endangered whales and dolphins the right to vote, and promising a carbon offset credit for every time a minister is caught weeping over their coal stashes. Citizens now have to come to terms with the fact that their indecision and appetite for last-minute rainforest-instead-of-boxing-day-Instagram-content may be the deadbolt which can open the flood gates of policymaking, designed to address the hottest issue of the century – literally. "I'm glad our pending doom finally caught the attention of our elected officials," quipped Lisa Grayson, a new swing voter enthusiast who has been agonizing over the impact of climate change since before it became a cool thing for politicians to care about as well. "Perhaps it's perfectly apt that the world's greatest existential crisis has now become a powerful electioneering tool." As the country battles with record-breaking heatwaves year after year, one has to wonder if it's only a matter of time before the political climate change bandwagon jumps ship, should the Swing Voter Barometer swing back to another pressing issue, like reality TV dramas, and our politicians leave climate action to cooler times.