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Political Suicide

January 16, 2009 @ 22:40 By Gavin Webber 11 Comments

What a crazy week here in Australian politics!

Factions of the coalition party which is currently in opposition to the elected government are openly calling eco-environmentalists similar to the Nazi Party!  The Senator Barnaby Joyce (Nat) drew comparisons between responding to climate change, environmentalists, and Nazi Germany when referring to the proposed emissions trading scheme.  He is also quoted as saying, "’I think that is a load of rubbish, to think that Australia is going to change the climate. It is not." 

Well, I believe that Senator Joyce has his head stuck firmly up the big industrial polluters arses or at least his own!  Call me a Nazi, you jumped up fat cat political prick (I know, I stooped to name calling).  Why don’t you take a good hard look at yourself, and look what is happening to the climate in the state you represent.  How hard it it to pick up a copy of "Nature" or Scientific American" and have a look at the facts for yourself.  Maybe even an IPCC report or two might change your mind.  But as always you only think of the short term gain for your corporate buddy’s and not the longer term pain that all of humanity will suffer as a result of your pigheadedness.  Unless the leader of the coalition can put his foot down, not only will both parties be irrelevant nationally, but internationally as well. This dated, but relevant article explains why.

Paul Kelly, ‘The Insiders’, ABC-TV, 27 July 2008:
"if you look around the world, look at what Conservative leaders around the world are doing. In Britain, in New Zealand, in the United States, they are accepting climate change and they are moving ahead with measures to combat it.."  The coalition is moving in the opposite direction!

If that was not enough for the week, the Liberals are in fighting amongst themselves regarding climate change policy.  They don’t have a unified policy, which I suppose is the problem.  Apparently they are going to back the CPRS legislation in the lower house and the senate, even if the Nationals (lead by Sen Joyce) vote against it.  How weird is that?  The Nationals and the Greens voting against the same piece of emissions legislation but for totally opposite reasons.  The Greens (and myself) believe that the target of 5% reduction of emissions from 2000 levels is far too low, and the Nats think that it is far too much and will devastate our economy.  This left/right business cannot be applied to all issues. Sure, in politics you have the left and the right, but in this issue about climate change, the largest one that humanity has ever faced, there is only one decision to make.  Do something about it, and do it now!

No habitable environment means no economy, get it? If the Opposition is still fooled that the noisy climate sceptics and deniers are in the majority, they will find themselves forever in opposition and totally irrelevant. Time to get on with action, not spoil for time so that more profits can be made from emitting more greenhouse gas emissions to the detriment to our one and only home, planet Earth.

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Filed Under: Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, climate change

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About Gavin Webber

Gavin Webber's daily goal is to live a more sustainable lifestyle, in an effort to reduce his family's environmental footprint so we can all make a difference for our children & future generations to come.

Learn more about him here and connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.

Comments

  1. SubtropicalHappiness says

    January 17, 2009 at 06:34

    Hi Gavin name call all you want as I know you are voicing not only your opinion but mine and many others as well.
    Cheers mate

    Reply
  2. Margaret's Ramblings says

    January 17, 2009 at 09:22

    Gavin realistically I feel you may have to put yourself out there in the public domain. Have you thought of maybe becoming more political. All over the world we need folk like you who know how to put what the rest of us feel but have trouble articulating. You have important things to say. Margaret

    and yes do all the name calling you want to.

    Reply
  3. nevyn says

    January 17, 2009 at 10:39

    Hi Gavin,

    I’m one of the people that Barnaby Joyce is supposed to represent.

    And I’m glad to say that I didn’t vote for the prick.

    Reply
  4. Cabbage Heart says

    January 17, 2009 at 11:10

    I don’t vote anymore! Seriously! I took my name off the Electorial Role! I can’t wait for them to take me to court because when I face a Magistrate to explain why I have protested against my right to vote, then my plea will be as easy as ….. None of the bastards represent my life or what i believe in so why give the bastards the power to speak for me. You know me very well Gav, I am a law abiding citizen, never been in trouble with the law, hell never lost a point off my drivers licence or got a parking ticket EVER, But NOT VOTING is my political stand against the fatcats and i WILL NOT back down. I am not shy to say that I do not wish to vote as there is no-one worth voting for. Unless of course someone like you became the true voice for Austrlians sick to death of the fatcats crawling up the arse of big business and has REAL issues and solutions for REAL Australians. I wont vote! Im not shy to admit it, and boo hoo to the bastards if they lock me up for standing up to the bigotted wankers who think they speak a voice for the common Australian inhabitant. Its all about money and who has more of it. Im much happier without it. I share no blame for electing the idiots that control our lives. I vented, Im happy. Sorry to ramble. My word verification is “winge”. Funny
    xoxoxo

    Reply
  5. Compostwoman says

    January 17, 2009 at 11:52

    To me this is NOT name calling…but rather “telling it like it is”

    Good post Gavin!

    Reply
  6. Sharon J says

    January 17, 2009 at 14:48

    I’m so glad I don’t live in Australia – it must be so frustrating to have a government that so blatantly denies there’s a problem that might possibly be at least slowed down. I find our government bad enough when it comes to environmental issues but they sound like eco warriors in comparison to yours.

    I’m with Margaret. You should become more politically involved. I’m sure there are many Australians who feel as you do but who don’t have anywhere even close to your knowledge or drive.

    Reply
  7. john (dad) says

    January 17, 2009 at 19:55

    minister webber for the enviroment thats got a ring about it

    Reply
  8. Margaret's Ramblings says

    January 18, 2009 at 05:43

    GAvin, if you take a look at my blog you will findan award I have passed onto you. I have given it to you because you are so inspiring and willing to share with us all. Margaret

    Reply
  9. JulieG says

    January 19, 2009 at 13:05

    Honestly, I think Senator Joyce *enjoys* being ignorant. He thinks it makes him special and different from the mainstream. Tell it like it is, Gav!

    Reply
  10. daharja says

    January 19, 2009 at 17:37

    I’m so glad I don’t live in Australia any more – but I’m so embarrassed to be an Australian sometimes.

    Then I remember there are people like you, and like so many of my friends over there, and that the government does NOT represent what the people think and want.

    5% is ludicrous. It is shaming. But this Nazi business – well, that’s just unbelievable.

    Since when was it fascist to want to leave a healthy world for our children – or to even live in a healthy world ourselves?

    In debate, when you play the ‘Nazi’ line, it means the name-caller has lost. I think that says it all.

    Daharja XXX
    PS – Oh – and yeah, you look like a Nazi to me, Gav – the green of your page is the new black and red, and yeah, the swastikas are everywhere! *sigh* Idiots.

    Reply
  11. Dan says

    January 21, 2009 at 01:04

    Hello Gavin,
    Your thoughts about “that” QLD MP echo my own about the majority of our politicians. We elect these people to represent us, but that often seems to be the last thing on their mind once big business comes knocking. Case in point: The KRudd and his knight in shining armour – Peter Garrett – easily seen as Australia’s great green hope after 11 odd years of “that other bloke” and what happens? 5%! Are you kidding?

    Look, I know Australia has massive Coal, Gas and Uranium deposits that vested interests want to exploit but we’re not short on a bit of Sun, Wind, Wave, Tidal or Geothermal either. Let’s get with the program! They tell us that renewable energy can’t provide base load and that’s why we need Clean Coal Tech. Here’s a thought – put the money for CCT into renewables R&D and I reckon you’ll have that base load in under 5-10 years.

    Add that to the solar panels that a feed-in tarriff has finally made viable and voila – we can wave bye bye to reliance on fossil fuels and hopefully the fuel for some of those Canberran fossils.

    Thanks for letting me vent!
    Dan

    Reply

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An Ordinary Australian Man Who Has A Green Epiphany Whilst Watching A Documentary, Gets a Hybrid Car, Plants A Large Organic Vegetable Garden, Goes Totally Solar, Lowers Consumption, Feeds Composts Bins and Worms, Harvests Rainwater, Raises Chickens, Makes Cheese and Soap, and Eats Locally. All In The Effort To Reduce Our Family's Carbon Footprint So We Can Start Making A Difference For Our Children & Future Generations To Come.

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