Media release - 14 January
2010 - Mr Abbott has today again proved
why he can’t be trusted on climate change.
After building tonight’s
speech up for days, Mr Abbott has presented
nothing but ineffective, uncosted, unfunded
policies that will do nothing to address
climate change or the challenges facing
the Murray Darling Basin.
It appears Mr Abbott
is again making things up as he goes along,
stealing from failed Howard Government policies
when he can’t come up with his own ideas.
His ill-informed speech
tonight shows just how little he understands
the environment and the economy.
It is impossible to
protect the environment without effective
action on climate change.
Similarly, it is impossible
to talk about the future of the Murray Darling
Basin without understanding the threat posed
to its existence by climate change.
The Garnaut Review estimated
irrigated agricultural production in the
Murray Darling Basin will drop by over 90
per cent by 2100 due to climate change.
The Rudd Government
has legislated to take over planning of
the Murray Darling Basin – this is the only
takeover that counts. A wholesale federal
takeover – as proposed by Mr Abbott - would
result in years of litigation, when what
the Basin needs is action.
This is an underwhelming
first attempt at environment policy from
someone who claims to be an environmentalist.
You cannot be an environmentalist when you
do not believe in climate change.
Australians expect their
leaders to face up to the big challenges.
Mr Abbott is instead demonstrating a complete
failure of leadership.
Mr Abbott now has 19
days to release his detailed and fully costed
policy on climate change.
+ More
20 days to go and Abbott
refuses to accept climate change is real
Media release - 13 January
2010 - With just 20 days to go to unveil
a climate change policy, the time has come
for Opposition Leader Tony Abbott to accept
the climate change science.
Mr Abbott cannot claim
to be a ‘fair dinkum environmentalist’ if
he does not accept that climate change is
real.
The evidence is clear
that the globe is warming and that human
activity is contributing to this.
At the end of Australia’s
second hottest year on record and the hottest
decade in Australian history, Mr Abbott
still doubts the existence of climate change.
“The so-called settled
science of climate change is not nearly
as settled as the climate catastrophists
would have us believe’’ - Tony Abbott –
2GB radio – 11 January 2010
You cannot claim to
be an environmentalist when you do not believe
in climate change.
Mr Abbott has indicated
he will release a detailed and fully costed
climate change policy by the time Parliament
resumes in February – in 20 days time.
Mr Abbott has been unable
to guarantee that, under his alternative
plan, pensioners and seniors would be fully
compensated for the costs of acting on climate
change.
He must make this guarantee
or it will be further proof that he cannot
be trusted on climate change.
