Copenhagen: the recriminations begin

20 December, 2009 by

Backstabbing begins

The back-stabbing kicks off with our own Penny Wong blaming “radical nations” for refusing to back the Obama deal:

Australia’s Climate Change Minister, Penny Wong, has criticised the critics.

“There are a few radical nations, a few radical states seeking to block action on climate change internationally, seeking to derail this process,” she said.

Many said the deal fell far short of UN ambitions, but Senator Wong welcomed the outcome of the talks. [That’s cognitive dissonance for you – Ed]

“Of course there is a lot to do,” she said.

“Of course we would have wanted more, but this is a significant step and what is important now is pressing on.”

Pressing on? How about switching off? I am so over Copenhagen… roll on Christmas.

Read it here.

Filed Under: Climate Tagged With: ,

Wong and Brown: the Deniers

9 December, 2009 by

My denial is this big

My denial is this big

Tony Abbott has stated a very simple fact that many others do not have the guts to state: the world has not warmed significantly since 2001, and may have even cooled. There seems nothing particularly controversial about that statement. The temperature data shows it clearly (if you look at the satellite record and ignore the surface record with its convenient manual “adjustments” that always seem to be upwards, that is). Even the Climategate emails acknowledge it – remember the quote “we can’t account for the lack of warming”?

But Penny Wong, the person most intimately acquainted with the ETS and climate change policy in Australia, just cannot deal with facts. Neither can enviro-loony Bob Brown, and both resort to spin and obfuscation in response. First off, here’s the Wong-bot:

“He is out there publicly talking about the world cooling when we have so many world leaders … going to Copenhagen because they are concerned about climate change,” she said.

“We see Mr Abbott talking about the globe cooling as the rest of the world is trying to work its way to tackling climate change.”

A gobsmacked [“gobsmacked”? Fine journalism there from Fairfax- Ed] Greens Leader Bob Brown said Mr Abbott’s comments would alienate conservatives.

“In a world where both big and small business understand the science of climate change and the need for appropriate action,” Senator Brown said.

Wong and Brown can’t handle the truth that the planet hasn’t warmed for a decade – in other words, they’re in denial.

Read it here. (h/t Andrew Bolt)

Filed Under: Climate Tagged With: , , ,

Labor to bring back ETS in February

2 December, 2009 by

Elocution lessons required

Gillard: fish wife

The ETS is like Monty Python’s parrot: “It’s not dead, it’s just pinin’ for the fjords!”

In an astonishing display of arrogance, Julia Gillard has announced at a press conference that the ETS will be reintroduced into parliament on the first sitting day next year, and she is encouraging Coalition members to vote against their own party to get it through!

Is she hoping to get a different result next time? Sorry, Julia. I can tell you now, it will be voted down again… and again, and again, and again, and again.

The ETS is dead. Get used to it.

However, it is very interesting that they chose not to call a DD straight away, and give the Opposition “one last chance” to pass the ETS. Are they running scared, as Andrew Bolt suggests?

UPDATE: Here’s an excerpt from Julia Gillard’s patronising speech:

We are doing this to give the Liberal Party one chance to work through and deal with this legislation in the national interest. We all know the Liberal Party is deeply divided on this question and there have been many Liberal voices prepared to speak up for the national interest [remind me, how is a massive tax with no effect on the climate “in the national interest” again? – Ed] and to speak in favour of our plan to tackle climate change.

We believe that over the Christmas period there is time for the calmer heads in the Liberal Party to consider this question: to consider acting in the national interest and to join with the Government on the first sitting day when Parliament resumes to take decisive steps to deal with climate change. [maybe you’re hoping that an excess of turkey and mince pies will some how affect Coalition brains? Duh – Ed]

We will bring this Bill back into the Parliament because it’s the right thing to do in the national interest. We are determined to see this legislation pass the Parliament. We know that there are Liberals who are prepared to support this legislation. We know supporting this legislation was the position of the Liberal Party only a few short days ago.

We call on those in the Liberal Party over the summer period who believe in taking responsible action on climate change to consider their position, to consider the position of their Party and to come back to the Parliament next year ready to take action on climate change. (source)

In your dreams, Julia.

Just for the record, Gillard used the phrase “national interest” sixteen times in the press conference, and Penny Wong used it twice. There has seldom been a piece of legislation before the Australian parliament that is less in the national interest.

Filed Under: Climate Tagged With: , ,

ETS voted down in Senate

2 December, 2009 by

Breaking News: the Senate has voted down the ETS. Climate sense prevails, at least for now.

I almost feel sorry for Penny Wong – well, actually, not really. It was bad law, rushed through without proper scrutiny in order to provide Kevin Rudd with a trophy to take to Copenhagen.

Filed Under: Climate Tagged With: , ,

Four hours, 7 amendments considered, 193 to go…

27 November, 2009 by

Gee, do you think they’ll get through it all by 3.45 (i.e in about 45 minutes time)? If it takes four hours for 7 amendments, it’ll take nearly five days for the remainder, even if they sit 24 hours a day!

Opposition and Greens senators have been putting a multitude of questions to Climate Change Minister Penny Wong on details surrounding the legislation, some of which have already been addressed.

The delaying tactics mean Labor’s hopes that there would be a Senate vote on the legislation by 1545 AEDT appear to have been scuppered.

Liberal senator Scott Ryan asked Senator Wong to clarify an answer already given to Greens senator Christine Milne about Kyoto units, which refer to certified levels of carbon emissions expressed in tonnes.

“With respect Senator Ryan, you’re doing a far better job than Senator (Julian) McGauran and Senator (Barnaby) Joyce yesterday in taking up a lot of time,” Senator Wong said.

“And that’s fine. We’ll continue to answer questions. You’re chasing every rabbit down every path.”

Yep. What a joke.

Read it here.

Filed Under: Climate Tagged With: ,

Breaking: Kevin Rudd and Penny Wong – press conference

24 November, 2009 by

Listen here (didn’t catch the start – apologies).

Kevin Rudd, Penny Wong Press Conference

Key points of deal:

  • increased assistance to coal industry
  • voluntary action of Australian households will be counted
  • additional support for electricity industry
  • exclude agriculture and include offsets
  • additional help for electricity prices

More to come…

Filed Under: Climate Tagged With: , ,

Wong and Rudd's "heat wave" deception

23 November, 2009 by

rudd_wong

Krudd and Wrong

From the Weather Isn’t Climate Department: As if we need more proof that Kevin Rudd and Penny Wong are on a religious crusade on climate change rather than anything based on science, they blurt out unfounded links between the heatwave in New South Wales and “global warming”:

Sydney’s average maximum temperature was a little more than 40C yesterday, making it the city’s hottest November day in 27 years [which means it was hotter 27 years ago, before this global warming hoax even got going – Ed], while crews in Melbourne were still mopping up last night after a devastating storm lashed the Victorian capital.

“We’ve seen increased numbers of storms, we’ve seen much less rain, particularly in southeastern Australia we’ve seen hotter and drier temperatures and conditions,” Senator Wong said yesterday.

“All of these are consistent with the trends that climate scientists are talking to us about and just underlined to us why Australia is so vulnerable to climate change.”

Kevin Rudd linked the weekend’s weather extremes to the ETS debate.

“Everyone in Australia thinking about this, this weekend, would work it out that we are among the hottest and driest continents on Earth,” the Prime Minister said.

“We will feel the effects of climate change fastest and hardest, and therefore we must act this week, and the government will be doing everything possible to make sure that that can occur.”

That’s the great thing about the “global warming” – if you are shallow enough, as Rudd and Wong most certainly are, you can blame anything on it. In reality, there is no evidence whatsoever that anything quoted above has anything to do with climate change. We’ve had worse droughts, worse heatwaves, worse rain storms. But hey, who cares about the truth anyway? It’s all about getting our ETS through at any cost.

Read it here.

Filed Under: Climate Tagged With: , , ,

Government apply yet more ETS pressure

22 November, 2009 by

Get her face off my monitor…

Get her face off my monitor…

When will the Opposition finally say enough is enough? Here we have the playground bullies just taking the other kid’s sweets, when what the bully deserves is a smack. Penny Wong will have seen the credibility of the alarmist cause disappear up in smoke thanks to the CRU leaks [either that or she will be doing the “fingers-in-the-ears-and-shout-la-la-la” routine – Ed], and will be even more desperate to pass the legislation before people wise up:

The Federal Government will give the Opposition just two days to decide whether or not to vote for an amended emissions trading scheme.

Climate Change Minister Penny Wong says a deal on the scheme will be presented to the Opposition on Tuesday morning.

The Government wants a Senate vote on the scheme before Parliament adjourns for the year on Thursday night, but a bid last week to extend the sitting hours was rejected by all non-government senators.

Senator Wong has been negotiating amendments with the Opposition and she has told Channel Nine that the two are inching closer to a deal.

But every cloud has a silver lining. It dramatically increase the chance of a filibuster, so that this legislation can be sunk without the need for a vote.

Read it here.

Filed Under: Climate Tagged With: , ,

Ian Plimer savages ETS

19 November, 2009 by


Ian Plimer

Ian Plimer

Ian Plimer, author of Heaven + Earth – Global Warming: The Missing Science (see here) has savaged the ETS madness currently unfolding in the Senate:

AUSTRALIA will go broke and become the laughing stock of the world if politicians ignore basic science on climate change, a leading global warming sceptic says.

Adelaide University professor of mining geology, Ian Plimer, said he feared Australia would become an economic backwater if due diligence was not part of developing climate change policy.

“My greatest fear is this country’s lights will go out and the rest of the world will think no one is home – and they will be right,” Professor Plimer said today.

“Australia will go broke and will become the laughing stock of the world if our political leaders keep making decisions on climate change based on ideology rather than on science.

“This country is heading down a very dangerous path of self-destruction if these people continue on their current path of ignorance and ignore scientific due diligence when making such important decisions about the future of this country.”

Sadly, the likes of Kevin Rudd and Penny Wong are not going to abandon those ideologies in a hurry, at huge cost to the Australian people.

Read it here.

Filed Under: Climate Tagged With: , , ,

Agriculture permanently exempt from ETS

15 November, 2009 by

This is a huge backflip for the government. Agricultural emissions were to have been included in the ETS from 2015, but it is now being reported that such emissions will be permanently exempt, with farmers no longer being required to buy permits.

The Coalition has been calling for the exemption – and the Government’s surprise move dramatically raises the stakes for Mr Turnbull to close a deal with Climate Change Minister Penny Wong to pass the ETS in the next two weeks of Parliament.

Yet sections of the Opposition Leader’s Liberal Party and the Nationals are likely to remain opposed to any such deal regardless, leaving Mr Turnbull’s authority in shreds.

The surprise concession by the Government will be announced by Senator Wong today ahead of the resumption of Parliament this week.

The initiative will also isolate the Nationals, who have been using the inclusion of agriculture in the proposed scheme by 2015 to spearhead its opposition to the package.

Senator Wong’s announcement is likely to get backing for the scheme from key Nationals constituencies such as the National Farmers Federation, which has been lobbying heavily for such a decision.

In another concession, Senator Wong will also announce the Government will develop plans to give farmers carbon credits for any efforts to capture and store carbon as part of their farm practices.

If the Opposition reject the ETS now, having obtained significant concessions from the government, it will be even easier for the government to claim the moral high ground, and accuse the opposition of being climate change deniers. Which is, of course, why the opposition should never have been negotiating on this awful legislation in the first place…

Read it here.

Filed Under: Climate Tagged With: , ,
«Previous Page
Next Page»