Tony Abbott denies climate change and advocates carbon tax in the same breath

Posted on 7 June 2011 by John Cook

On Sunday, Megan Evans pointed me towards a 2009 interview with Australian opposition leader Tony Abbott. It's 13 minutes long but what grabbed my attention was an answer towards the end where Abbott throws out a few climate denier myths then seamlessly transitions into arguing that a carbon tax is the best way to put a price on carbon. Yesterday morning, I uploaded the one minute answer onto YouTube:



Later that day, Aussie climate scientist Matthew England passed the YouTube clip onto Tony Jones, host of the popular and influential ABC television show Q&A. And sure enough, last night, the clip was featured on Q&A. You can watch the whole episode here (the clip airs at around the 34 minute mark).

The clip began appearing in the media today. The Sydney Morning Herald led with Abbott dogged by old carbon comment (a Channel Ten clip is embedded on the SMH article). The Australian labelled it the Abbott Carbon Debacle. Abbott was forced to defend his words as were Abbott's fellow MPs George Brandis and Christopher Pyne. Channel Ten's 7pm Project covered it tonight.

The media focus was understandably on the fact that Abbott was advocating a carbon tax as the best form of putting a price on carbon, while he currently describes it as a "toxic tax". But I must confess (which should surprise noone here), I was quite interested in his climate denial myths. In just a few sentences, he managed to hit "the science isn't settled", "it's cooling", "it hasn't warmed since 1998" and "there's no correlation between CO2 and temperature". Now that's some concentrated myth making!

As a climate denier, Tony Abbott is most famous for his statement that climate science is "absolute crap". However, that's just the tip of the iceberg - he actually has a long history of denying climate change science. Skeptical Science have been steadily extending our database of climate myth quotes beyond just U.S. politicians and here is what we have so far from Tony Abbott.

Just for reminders cause i know ya'll have seen it of course. .Watch Tony telling more lies here..The youtube he wishes would go away..  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPpQisoZqx4&feature=player_embedded

Read  a list of Tony Abbotts lies and myths about climate change..Be informed NOT lectured by corporate owned mouth pieces aka Alan Jones. Tell tony to come up with some real policies NOT just his constant running around the countryside like a manic egomaniac on speed telling LIES to vulnerable Australians!!! 

We love you Julia!!!

chicken_lipsforme wrote on Sep 2^nd, 2011 at 7:32am:

OMG, I know, how could anyone take this person seriously and the clip in question has been done a few times and been found wanting.

The clip has been bunked atleast twice that I know of.

It's all too hard for them huh.

They can't even admit their demi god Abbott/Murdoch is a lying swine.

People are whinging about a $23 a tonne carbon tax despite the fact that most people will end up with more money in their pockets if they show a little common sense and the longer we wait the greater the damage and the higher the financial cost.
How much did the Queensland floods cost this country and how much did the decade of drought cost? Now think of those events being more frequent and more extreme.
I can tell the Tea Baggers..the cost of doing nothing is going to be far greater than $23 a tonne.

~ if they show a little common sense ~

AND there lays the problem adelcrow , its easier to vote Liberal than to have any commonsense. and we all know the easy way is the best way.

SPOT ON!!

Australians throughout the country need to WAKE UP to Tony Abbott and his useless archaic no idea policies that will destroy our country and only make his rich mining buddies richer.

He will let public education fall to an all time low grade waste land and send all of our young uneducated men to the mines. See the pattern?

How stupid are these Abbott sycophants?

What is their problem? Why are they supporting the billionaire mates of tony Abbott and Alan Jones?

Media..the tool of the devil.

Media..Murdoch the american criminal nightmare.

Watch out all you young Howard battlers..Abbott has your life already planned for you after he takes your 'stupid' vote he'll kick your guts and send you down the mine shaft while he sips champagne with Rupert and Alan.

VOMIT!

Abbott seems to hold every possible position on the important issue. The idea that he actually supprots a tax has come up many times before. Then it seems to disappear into the ther again.

For example:

Coalition has their own carbon tax?

http://www.ozpolitic.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1305806618/0

I predicted a while back that the coalition might go into the next election as the only party with a tax as the core of their policy. Both Labor and the Greens currently plan to ditch the tax.

gizmo_2655 wrote on Sep 2^nd, 2011 at 3:13pm:


So we have to wait until it's history to be able to make your style of old fashion judgement?

Climate change deniers can only demonstrate they have a shallow understanding of science.