Isn’t it strange all this talk about who will represent us at November’s COP26 conference in Glasgow? On a matter of such international importance, one would have thought that we would be represented by our highest officeholder, the Prime Minister. At present, he is not showing any inclination to do for fear of being laughed out the front door.
Incidentally, I watching News 24 last Tuesday when Susan Ley’s head appeared and said in a very “she’ll be right” calm way; “Oh I think we can get there.” After a decade of argument, discussion, debate, destruction of a Labor policy that worked and Prime Ministers losing their jobs one after the other, I think to myself, is this the best they can do.
How is it possible that a few people of little scientific intellect can hold the country’s future in their hands while their leaders don’t have the will to confront them?
Tensions were so hot last Sunday that the significant protagonist within the junior Coalition, Matt Canavan, told Guardian Australia that he was just warming up with his opposition to net-zero by 2050. Senator Christensen didn’t even bother to turn up.
So, what could Morrison possibly tell them if he did go? He keeps talking about some plan or a plan to have a plan that no one has ever seen. He keeps “inching towards net-zero emissions by 2050” target but can’t give any guarantee because the Nationals cannot agree to it. Well, a couple anyway.
The Prime Minister should be aware that the member would win his seat in a canter if he stood as an independent.
After a decade of governing the country with this matter front and centre, you would think it would be done and dusted by now. But no, the junior member of the Coalition, the National Party, is in such disarray that members don’t know their right hand from their left.
The Member for Gippsland Darren Chester is so disgusted with his party’s leadership and lack of progression that he won’t even attend party meetings.
And now, at the 11th hour, Katherine Murphy of The Guardian tells us that some…
“Liberal MPs in metropolitan seats have declared the Morrison government needs to adopt both a net zero target, and a roadmap demonstrating how that commitment will be met, because one doesn’t work without the other.”
No wonder the Prime Minister is being cagy about attending the meeting. He has nothing to tell them, and how embarrassing that would be. It is better to have some junior minister tell them the bad news than for him to front up and tell them nothing.
But seriously, what a bunch of pathetic fools Australia has to represent them!
Following on from Josh Frydenberg’s sudden realisation that the economy is also affected by the climate, Resources Minister Keith Pitt and Senator Matt Canavan spoke out against net zero over the weekend, then continued their campaigns on Monday. Canavan keeps calling to see the bill and tweeted that he is “dead set against” net zero. It, of course, has nothing to do with the cost, and he is just desperate to ensure that Australia keeps on digging up our coal deposits.
I am deadset against net zero emissions. Just look at the disaster the UK is living through. They're switching off their industry to keep their lights on, and they are struggling to feed themselves. Net zero emissions would just make us weaker.
— Senator Matt Canavan (@mattjcan) September 25, 2021
He appeared on 2GB to label net zero a; “utopian target… Before we blindly pursue something like this, surely someone would show us the bill,” he said. (Just like the NBN, l thought, or the NDIS.)
As l see it, Morrison can go to Glasgow with a plan to reduce our emissions to net-zero by 20/50 and risk being laughed at or stay at home with nothing and be shamed.
Joyce may be convinced to compromise, but Canavan won’t budge.
We have to phase out coal, and we have to do it by 2030. Blind Freddy would know that to do this, we need to stop using it by 2030. Then some inner-city seats will need to be saved in the next election. This won’t be done if there is no real climate action plan and one that would pass the pub test.
Tricky Scotty does have a way out, of course, and that is to get an agreement on a concrete action plan but don’t legislate it. That way, he doesn’t risk members crossing the floor. He gets all the initial accolades, and the spears aren’t thrown until after he has left the stage.
Australians no longer believe that climate change is “crap.” Tony Abbott admitted that he was using the statement as a political ploy to become Prime Minister. Good politics, perhaps, but the damage caused by his buffoonery has been enormous. The Australian public fell for it for a decade, and it speaks volumes for his and Morrison’s lying ability. But it says nothing about a desire to save the planet.
I find it impossible to imagine that the Australian people could be so gullible as to elect for a fourth term a government that has performed so miserably in the first three and has amongst its members some of the most devious, suspicious and corrupt men and women. But they might. That is what I fear.
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My thought for the day
The ability of thinking human beings to blindly embrace what they are being told without referring to evaluation and the consideration of scientific fact, truth and reason, never ceases to amaze me. It is tantamount to the rejection of rational explanation.
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