This is NOT satire.. AUSTRALIA will be represented by a diplomat rather than a senior minister at international climate talks in Poland next week aimed at securing an agreement to cut global carbon emissions. Environment Minister Greg Hunt wont attend the annual Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change meeting, saying hell be busy repealing the carbon tax in the first fortnight of parliament. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop will also not attend. Neither her parliamentary secretary Brett Mason nor Mr Hunts deputy, Simon Birmingham, have been delegated to attend. Instead, Australia will be represented by Australias Climate Change Ambassador Justin Lee, who is based in the Department of Foreign Affairs. Mr Hunt said through a spokesman that he would be “fully engaged in repealing the carbon tax” while the conference was underway. The Environment Minister, whod been expected to attend the talks, yesterday cancelled scheduled briefings on the Warsaw talks with business representatives, lobby groups and foreign diplomats. Asked about the decision, Mr Hunts spokesman said the talks were a foreign affairs issue. Australias stance at the upcoming meeting was due to be considered by federal cabinet on Monday. Lobby groups said other nations were anxious to see what role Australia would play in global climate change negotiations under a Coalition government. Speaking to reporters this morning, Mr Hunt said Australian delegates to next weeks UN climate summit in Poland will seek a “deep, strong international agreement”. On the carbon tax, Mr Hunt said there was “no excuse” for savings from abolishing the carbon tax not to be passed on to consumers through electricity bills. He said Labor should not stand in the way of the repeal legislation when it is introduced to parliament next week. “The only person standing between Australians and lower electricity prices is (Labor leader) Bill Shorten.”
Posted on: Thu, 07 Nov 2013 01:44:15 +0000
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