Taxpayers fund Abbott MP's climate-change denialism

One of the federal government's most prominent climate-change deniers has billed taxpayers for a series of books that argues global warming is a hoax.

MPs are allowed to buy publications including books, journals, magazines and newspapers as part of their taxpayer-funded allowances.

Queensland National MP George Christensen's latest expenses filed with the Finance Department show that he bought three books on climate-change denialism: The Greatest Hoax: How the Global Warming Conspiracy Threatens Your Future; Tower of Babble: How the United Nations Has Fuelled Global Chaos; and Taxing Air Australia.

Mr Christensen has previously told a sceptics conference in the United States that climate change is like a science-fiction-cum-comedy film plot.

He could not be reached for comment.

The books cost taxpayers $100.

Labor Waste Watch Committee chairman Pat Conroy attacked Mr Christensen's taste in books, saying, "George Christensen is clearly partial to fairytales, given he's stocked up on a raft of climate-change denialism fiction".

The list of MPs' expenses also shows L-plate minister Barnaby Joyce bought a book advising on how to be a successful minister, almost six months after entering cabinet as Agriculture Minister.

Mr Joyce bought Learning To Be a Minister (heroic expectations, practical realities) in March 2014.

Amazon's review says the book "investigates how a new ministry learns and adapts to the responsibilities of governing".

Mr Joyce revealed the book was so good he bought two copies. "It's a must read," he told Fairfax Media.

"There are two things in life that you don't need a degree for: one is having a baby and the other is becoming a minister, so any other information you can get on it should be absorbed with relish," he said.

"It's also handy for people in my office, especially electoral staff, learning about procedures," Mr Joyce said.

Mr Conroy said the rest of cabinet should follow Mr Joyce's example and buy a copy as "they obviously need some help".

Attorney-General George Brandis spent almost $1000 stocking his mega bookshelf, which has already cost taxpayers $15,000.  He bought a book that sympathises with Julia Gillard and claims the first female prime minister was brought down by the media and Kevin Rudd.

Senator Brandis also charged taxpayers for the following publications: The War That Ended Peace: How Europe Abandoned Peace for the First World War 18, Rendezvous With Destiny: How Franklin D. Roosevelt and Five Extraordinary Men Took America Into the War and Into the World, a collection of David Malouf's essays, The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914 17, and a Who's Who in Australia 2015, which alone cost $222.73.

The updated MPs' expenses also reveal Queensland Liberal MP Bert Van Manen bought four children's books, including Dr Seuss: A Classic History and Australian Animal Verses.  He said he gave them to local schools and childcare centres in his electorate.

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/taxpayers-fund-abbott-mps-climatechange-denialism-20150105-12i57u.html

Good old pinko SMH at it again....

Swagman wrote on Jan 6^th, 2015 at 10:34am:

Good old pinko SMH at it again....

Reporting facts.
Shame pinko, shame.

____ wrote on Jan 6^th, 2015 at 10:36am:

Shame pinko, shame.

Yes I have to agree for once

You wouldn't get one of those fascist hard right opinion websites giving out the facts as clearly, so thinking people could draw their own opinion.


Perish the thought.

Under Labor and the Greens, taxpayers were forced to fund their climate change religious cult...

What a naughty boy. He should be spanked.
Imagine spending his pocket money on books of his own choice. The hide of it!

There should be an official list, prepared by the Greens, from which it would be compulsory for MPs to choose. That's the proper democratic way to go about these things.

bogarde73 wrote on Jan 6^th, 2015 at 10:54am:

What a naughty boy. He should be spanked. Imagine spending his pocket money on books of his own choice. The hide of it! There should be an official list, prepared by the Greens, from which it would be compulsory for MPs to choose. That's the proper democratic way to go about these things.

No, frankly with the budget emergency, frivolous lurks like taxpayers paying for MP's libraries should be banned.

Buy your own f#@king paper & books.

I wonder when our dear AG is booted or retires whether his extensive library will remain in parliament, seeing their OUR books paid with OUR money, lining at least one of the expensive book cases we've had to fund. >:(

So, when you can't complain about him having a choice under the existing system, switch your censorship button to "All systems off"?

bogarde73 wrote on Jan 6^th, 2015 at 11:07am:

So, when you can't complain about him having a choice under the existing system, switch your censorship button to "All systems off"?

I believe I said defund the lurk entirely.
Exactly how does that only effect 1 party???

Taxpayers SHOULD NOT be paying for anything that they have to fund themselves on a day to day basis.

When I can get a subsidised lunch including plonk, when I get chauffeured to & from airports & the office, when I get every daily paper free plus monthly's thrown in & the odd best seller they can.

Until that utopia they like everyone else on far less money should pay their own way regardless of party affiliation.

____ wrote on Jan 6^th, 2015 at 10:44am:

You wouldn't get one of those fascist hard right opinion websites giving out the facts as clearly, so thinking people could draw their own opinion. Perish the thought.

I'd say lots more tax-payer funds go to funding pinko scams IMO

A HUNDRED DOLLARS??????

I don't think $100 'funds' anything.

Dsmithy70 wrote on Jan 6^th, 2015 at 11:29am:

bogarde73 wrote on Jan 6th, 2015 at 11:07am: So, when you can't complain about him having a choice under the existing system, switch your censorship button to "All systems off"? I believe I said defund the lurk entirely. Exactly how does that only effect 1 party??? Taxpayers SHOULD NOT be paying for anything that they have to fund themselves on a day to day basis. When I can get a subsidised lunch including plonk, when I get chauffeured to & from airports & the office, when I get every daily paper free plus monthly's thrown in & the odd best seller they can. Until that utopia they like everyone else on far less money should pay their own way regardless of party affiliation.

ministers of the crown are hardly the average employee.  and most executives and CEOs get all those perks and a great deal more.

Im not a great fan of excessive perks but some consistency and context would be nice.

longweekend58 wrote on Jan 6^th, 2015 at 11:42am:

Im not a great fan of excessive perks but some consistency and context would be nice.

The consistency & context would they pay their own way or as you say, make it in the private sector.

It's yet another load of steaming crap that they would be snapped up or earning more.

Besides they tell us they go into politics not for the gravy train & money but to help their communities, so practice what you preach.

____ wrote on Jan 6^th, 2015 at 9:03am:

Taxpayers fund Abbott MP's climate-change denialism One of the federal government's most prominent climate-change deniers has billed taxpayers for a series of books that argues global warming is a hoax. MPs are allowed to buy publications including books, journals, magazines and newspapers as part of their taxpayer-funded allowances. Queensland National MP George Christensen's latest expenses filed with the Finance Department show that he bought three books on climate-change denialism: The Greatest Hoax: How the Global Warming Conspiracy Threatens Your Future; Tower of Babble: How the United Nations Has Fuelled Global Chaos; and Taxing Air Australia. Mr Christensen has previously told a sceptics conference in the United States that climate change is like a science-fiction-cum-comedy film plot. He could not be reached for comment. The books cost taxpayers $100. Labor Waste Watch Committee chairman Pat Conroy attacked Mr Christensen's taste in books, saying, "George Christensen is clearly partial to fairytales, given he's stocked up on a raft of climate-change denialism fiction". The list of MPs' expenses also shows L-plate minister Barnaby Joyce bought a book advising on how to be a successful minister, almost six months after entering cabinet as Agriculture Minister. Mr Joyce bought Learning To Be a Minister (heroic expectations, practical realities) in March 2014. Amazon's review says the book "investigates how a new ministry learns and adapts to the responsibilities of governing". Mr Joyce revealed the book was so good he bought two copies. "It's a must read," he told Fairfax Media. "There are two things in life that you don't need a degree for: one is having a baby and the other is becoming a minister, so any other information you can get on it should be absorbed with relish," he said. "It's also handy for people in my office, especially electoral staff, learning about procedures," Mr Joyce said. Mr Conroy said the rest of cabinet should follow Mr Joyce's example and buy a copy as "they obviously need some help". Attorney-General George Brandis spent almost $1000 stocking his mega bookshelf, which has already cost taxpayers $15,000.  He bought a book that sympathises with Julia Gillard and claims the first female prime minister was brought down by the media and Kevin Rudd. Senator Brandis also charged taxpayers for the following publications: The War That Ended Peace: How Europe Abandoned Peace for the First World War 18, Rendezvous With Destiny: How Franklin D. Roosevelt and Five Extraordinary Men Took America Into the War and Into the World, a collection of David Malouf's essays, The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914 17, and a Who's Who in Australia 2015, which alone cost $222.73. The updated MPs' expenses also reveal Queensland Liberal MP Bert Van Manen bought four children's books, including Dr Seuss: A Classic History and Australian Animal Verses.  He said he gave them to local schools and childcare centres in his electorate. http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/taxpayers-fund-abbott-mps-climatechange-denialism-20150105-12i57u.html

so you are against reading unless it is ideologically approved by the Greens?  How fascist of you.

Dsmithy70 wrote on Jan 6^th, 2015 at 11:47am:

longweekend58 wrote on Jan 6th, 2015 at 11:42am: Im not a great fan of excessive perks but some consistency and context would be nice. The consistency & context would they pay their own way or as you say, make it in the private sector. It's yet another load of steaming crap that they would be snapped up or earning more. Besides they tell us they go into politics not for the gravy train & money but to help their communities, so practice what you preach.

I'm pleased to agree with your sentiments. I'm all for us going back to the days when MPs had to be people of independent means instead of salaried lackeys of a party. Then we would see people who, as you say, "go into politics not for the gravy train & money but to help their communities".

A property qualification for voting would be another advisable step back to the future.

Swagman wrote on Jan 6^th, 2015 at 11:38am:

____ wrote on Jan 6th, 2015 at 10:44am: You wouldn't get one of those fascist hard right opinion websites giving out the facts as clearly, so thinking people could draw their own opinion. Perish the thought. I'd say lots more tax-payer funds go to funding pinko scams IMO

Of course you would say that.
Especially with no evidence to back it up.

longweekend58 wrote on Jan 6^th, 2015 at 11:51am:

____ wrote on Jan 6th, 2015 at 9:03am: Taxpayers fund Abbott MP's climate-change denialism One of the federal government's most prominent climate-change deniers has billed taxpayers for a series of books that argues global warming is a hoax. MPs are allowed to buy publications including books, journals, magazines and newspapers as part of their taxpayer-funded allowances. Queensland National MP George Christensen's latest expenses filed with the Finance Department show that he bought three books on climate-change denialism: The Greatest Hoax: How the Global Warming Conspiracy Threatens Your Future; Tower of Babble: How the United Nations Has Fuelled Global Chaos; and Taxing Air Australia. Mr Christensen has previously told a sceptics conference in the United States that climate change is like a science-fiction-cum-comedy film plot. He could not be reached for comment. The books cost taxpayers $100. Labor Waste Watch Committee chairman Pat Conroy attacked Mr Christensen's taste in books, saying, "George Christensen is clearly partial to fairytales, given he's stocked up on a raft of climate-change denialism fiction". The list of MPs' expenses also shows L-plate minister Barnaby Joyce bought a book advising on how to be a successful minister, almost six months after entering cabinet as Agriculture Minister. Mr Joyce bought Learning To Be a Minister (heroic expectations, practical realities) in March 2014. Amazon's review says the book "investigates how a new ministry learns and adapts to the responsibilities of governing". Mr Joyce revealed the book was so good he bought two copies. "It's a must read," he told Fairfax Media. "There are two things in life that you don't need a degree for: one is having a baby and the other is becoming a minister, so any other information you can get on it should be absorbed with relish," he said. "It's also handy for people in my office, especially electoral staff, learning about procedures," Mr Joyce said. Mr Conroy said the rest of cabinet should follow Mr Joyce's example and buy a copy as "they obviously need some help". Attorney-General George Brandis spent almost $1000 stocking his mega bookshelf, which has already cost taxpayers $15,000.  He bought a book that sympathises with Julia Gillard and claims the first female prime minister was brought down by the media and Kevin Rudd. Senator Brandis also charged taxpayers for the following publications: The War That Ended Peace: How Europe Abandoned Peace for the First World War 18, Rendezvous With Destiny: How Franklin D. Roosevelt and Five Extraordinary Men Took America Into the War and Into the World, a collection of David Malouf's essays, The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914 17, and a Who's Who in Australia 2015, which alone cost $222.73. The updated MPs' expenses also reveal Queensland Liberal MP Bert Van Manen bought four children's books, including Dr Seuss: A Classic History and Australian Animal Verses.  He said he gave them to local schools and childcare centres in his electorate. http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/taxpayers-fund-abbott-mps-climatechange-denialism-20150105-12i57u.html so you are against reading unless it is ideologically approved by the Greens?  How fascist of you.

Really. Got a link to back up your opinion.

bogarde73 wrote on Jan 6^th, 2015 at 2:53pm:

Dsmithy70 wrote on Jan 6th, 2015 at 11:47am: longweekend58 wrote on Jan 6th, 2015 at 11:42am: Im not a great fan of excessive perks but some consistency and context would be nice. The consistency & context would they pay their own way or as you say, make it in the private sector. It's yet another load of steaming crap that they would be snapped up or earning more. Besides they tell us they go into politics not for the gravy train & money but to help their communities, so practice what you preach. I'm pleased to agree with your sentiments. I'm all for us going back to the days when MPs had to be people of independent means instead of salaried lackeys of a party. Then we would see people who, as you say, "go into politics not for the gravy train & money but to help their communities". A property qualification for voting would be another advisable step back to the future.

wow... imagine a parliament filled only with very rich people who could do the job without a salary.  Can you imagine a country after 150 Clive Palmers had finished with it?  the refugee boats would be heading TOWARDS Indonesia.

longweekend58 wrote on Jan 6^th, 2015 at 4:03pm:

wow... imagine a parliament filled only with very rich people who could do the job without a salary.  Can you imagine a country after 150 Clive Palmers had finished with it?  the refugee boats would be heading TOWARDS Indonesia.

I think we would both be on it Longie

;D ;D ;D ;D

So there are advantages.

____ wrote on Jan 6^th, 2015 at 4:18pm:

So there are advantages.

Your type would be in jail or executed long time ago.

So yes,  there are some advantages.

No thats a hard right theocratic government, not a plutocracy.

____ wrote on Jan 6^th, 2015 at 4:33pm:

No thats a hard right theocratic government, not a plutocracy.

A govt such as that would be very quick to jail gays and traitors.  you qualify as both.

its the only good thing I see from it.

The most crime-free country in post-war Europe was soviet USSR.  nothing like summary arrest and execution to really reduce crime.  North Korea has the same low crime rate - if you exclude state-base executions for crimes such as owning a radio.

longweekend58 wrote on Jan 6^th, 2015 at 4:38pm:

____ wrote on Jan 6th, 2015 at 4:33pm: No thats a hard right theocratic government, not a plutocracy. A govt such as that would be very quick to jail gays and traitors.  you qualify as both. its the only good thing I see from it. The most crime-free country in post-war Europe was soviet USSR.  nothing like summary arrest and execution to really reduce crime.  North Korea has the same low crime rate - if you exclude state-base executions for crimes such as owning a radio.

Yeah, I'm a traitor in I don't believe is sky fairy rape, burning witches, and arks for every type of cockroach.

There again, thats what happens when your not brainwashed at birth. I didn't turn out angry and jealous.

____ wrote on Jan 6^th, 2015 at 4:44pm:

longweekend58 wrote on Jan 6th, 2015 at 4:38pm: ____ wrote on Jan 6th, 2015 at 4:33pm: No thats a hard right theocratic government, not a plutocracy. A govt such as that would be very quick to jail gays and traitors.  you qualify as both. its the only good thing I see from it. The most crime-free country in post-war Europe was soviet USSR.  nothing like summary arrest and execution to really reduce crime.  North Korea has the same low crime rate - if you exclude state-base executions for crimes such as owning a radio. Yeah, I'm a traitor in I don't believe is sky fairy rape, burning witches, and arks for every type of cockroach. There again, thats what happens when your not brainwashed at birth. I didn't turn out angry and jealous.

definitely a traitor.  in a rich-dominant society you would be in a gulag or a coffin.

longweekend58 wrote on Jan 6^th, 2015 at 5:08pm:

____ wrote on Jan 6th, 2015 at 4:44pm: longweekend58 wrote on Jan 6th, 2015 at 4:38pm: ____ wrote on Jan 6th, 2015 at 4:33pm: No thats a hard right theocratic government, not a plutocracy. A govt such as that would be very quick to jail gays and traitors.  you qualify as both. its the only good thing I see from it. The most crime-free country in post-war Europe was soviet USSR.  nothing like summary arrest and execution to really reduce crime.  North Korea has the same low crime rate - if you exclude state-base executions for crimes such as owning a radio. Yeah, I'm a traitor in I don't believe is sky fairy rape, burning witches, and arks for every type of cockroach. There again, thats what happens when your not brainwashed at birth. I didn't turn out angry and jealous. definitely a traitor.  in a rich-dominant society you would be in a gulag or a coffin.

stereotyping ... an attribute of yours which is very amusing. Keep on digging.

Dsmithy70 wrote on Jan 6^th, 2015 at 11:29am:

bogarde73 wrote on Jan 6th, 2015 at 11:07am: So, when you can't complain about him having a choice under the existing system, switch your censorship button to "All systems off"? I believe I said defund the lurk entirely. Exactly how does that only effect 1 party??? Taxpayers SHOULD NOT be paying for anything that they have to fund themselves on a day to day basis. When I can get a subsidised lunch including plonk, when I get chauffeured to & from airports & the office, when I get every daily paper free plus monthly's thrown in & the odd best seller they can. Until that utopia they like everyone else on far less money should pay their own way regardless of party affiliation.

That’s just absurd. Any right minded person would agree with your comments if they were directed at the leftards, but to include a Liberal government in such scrimping and penny-pinching is ludicrous.

Pathetic.

bogarde73 wrote on Jan 6^th, 2015 at 2:53pm:

A property qualification for voting would be another advisable step back to the future.

No taxation without representation.

Bam wrote on Jan 7^th, 2015 at 5:34pm:

bogarde73 wrote on Jan 6th, 2015 at 2:53pm: A property qualification for voting would be another advisable step back to the future. No taxation without representation.

I'd like to add 'no taxation without effective representation'  Voting for representatives who are then over-ridden by a couple of unrepresentative swill is not 'representation'.

Bam wrote on Jan 7^th, 2015 at 5:34pm:

bogarde73 wrote on Jan 6th, 2015 at 2:53pm: A property qualification for voting would be another advisable step back to the future. No taxation without representation.

The so-called rich have that now.