The Melbourne seat of Kooyong was proudly home to Australia's longest-serving prime minister, Sir Robert Menzies.

Josh Frydenberg still holds the leafy inner eastern suburbs seat with a margin of almost 13 per cent but the tide has been turning.

On day one of the election campaign, the Treasurer was tasked with trying to convince voters that the coalition is doing enough to tackle climate change.

The consensus at Hawthorn Arts Centre on Thursday night was a firm no.

While never nasty nor hostile, the majority of audience members were clearly fed up with the Morrison government's attitude towards climate change.

There were a number of groans at Mr Frydenberg's long-held line that the federal government will comfortably meet its Paris agreement targets.

The audience was a mix of young and old, with one elderly man's mobility scooter adorned with a "Stop Adani" sign.

Mr Frydenberg, a former environment minister, had to sit through the five other Kooyong candidates hammering him and the coalition before getting a chance to respond.

Former Liberal Party member Oliver Yates, who announced his independent candidacy in January, didn't miss when he addressed a jam-packed Hawthorn Arts Centre.

"Climate change is a symptom of a failing political system, led by politicians who are addicted to donations and their own self-interest," he said.

"Past and present environment ministers who won't act with integrity on climate change need to be voted out."

It was clear Mr Yates, a former banker and head of the Clean Energy Finance Corportation, had the audience.

His speech drew the most positive response of the night, even more than high-profile Greens candidate Julian Burnside.

The prominent human rights lawyer declared he was entering politics against all of his "previous instincts" but says the climate challenge has left him distressed.

An enthusiastic Mr Burnside went over his allotted five-minute appearance and was given numerous wind-ups, including from one heckler, but still delivered a polished performance.

Mr Frydenberg was on a hiding to nothing even before entering the room but still outperformed Labor's candidate Jana Stewart.

Australian Associated Press