In a speech stunningly devoid of any description of the impact of climate change on Australia’s environment, cities, agriculture or economic wellbeing, Prime Minister Howard today put off real action for at least another five years.
“John Howard simply doesn’t understand climate change,” Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.
“His comment that it would be ‘foolish indeed’ to ignore the evidence on climate change condemns his own foolishness for the past 11 years in failing to tackle climate change.”
“Far from leaving our children ‘debt-free’, Howard is racking up a debt of more bushfires, more intense droughts, a bleached Great Barrier Reef and no ski-fields for Australia’s children – as if these are no-cost factors.”
“Not once in his entire speech did the Prime Minister talk about what the science demands in response to climate change. He ignored the environment and spoke only of what the coal, aluminium and aviation sectors are prepared to accept,” Greens Climate Change spokesperson, Senator Christine Milne said.
“Climate change is not going to wait for the Liberal party. Keeping global temperature rises to 2C or less requires rigorous action now and it is Prime Minister Howard who has been ‘missing in action’ and who is ‘steeped in recklessness and symbolism’."
“Australia can trust the Greens to face the reality of climate change and to make decisions that will truly give our children hope,” Senator Milne said.
