Federal Climate Change Minister Greg Combet has accused Opposition Leader Tony Abbott of having a racist climate change policy.
Mr Abbott has warned that Australian businesses buying carbon permits under an emissions trading scheme could be conned by unscrupulous international traders.
Mr Combet described Mr Abbott's position as "economic xenophobia" in an address to the National Press Club.
"It is in effect a white carbon policy designed to harvest more votes no matter what the cost."
The Government argues an internationally linked emissions trading scheme is needed so pollution can be cut at the lowest cost.
So 24 hours ago it was ok for Labor to be economically xenophobic by suggesting all Australian mining companies be forced to source their steel locally, as if there was something wrong with foreign made steel.
Labor have scraped the bottom of the barrel in a new low with this ridiculous statement that Abbott’s preference for a direct action climate plan over an ETS is economic xenophobia.
Rather than buy dubious foreign sourced Carbon Dioxide abatement certificates, Tony Abbott is using common sense to spend the same money on local abatement here.
You can’t clean you own backyard by paying for someone else to clean somebody else’s backyard.
Andy Semple
Follow him on twitter @Bulmkt
Sorry to be picky...but isn't that ..."scraped the bottom of the barrel" just thought I would point that out before someone accuses you of xenobarrelism.......Otherwise I agree with you absolutely, my first reaction was very similar.
Posted by: Lillith | August 23, 2011 at 07:41 PM
tks Lillith.
Brain faster than fingers....
Posted by: Andy | August 23, 2011 at 07:53 PM
Facepalm@Combet.com
Posted by: Doc Benway | August 23, 2011 at 08:06 PM
LMAO !!!! You know they are desperate when they scratch the bottom of the barrel in search of their coveted race card!! Now the Carbon Tax is a race issue!!! lol lol lol lol lol lol !!!!! hahaahhaahhaaaahahaaa......sorry, but I can't stop laughing! Straight face.....not! lol hahhahaahahaaha!!!!
Opps, hubby just fell off his chair!
Posted by: bluebell | August 23, 2011 at 08:20 PM
Now it's xenophobic to support your own industries......lol lol lol, hahhaaahhahhhahahahahhaaa!!!
Where's Paul Howe's when you need him!!
Posted by: bluebell | August 23, 2011 at 08:23 PM
OMG!
Posted by: fiandra | August 23, 2011 at 09:00 PM
I think I hear Twilight Zone music....!
Posted by: Lillith | August 23, 2011 at 09:04 PM
http://wakeupfromyourslumber.com/blog/qrswave/libya-and-iraq-iran-syria-egypt-yemen-etc-all-about-oil-israel
Posted by: NameLIBYA (and Iraq, Iran, Syria, Egypt, Yemen, etc.) - ALL about OIL for ISRAEL | August 23, 2011 at 09:59 PM
I watched in amazement at Combet's rant. But what would we expect from someone with the title Minister for Climate Change? He may as well be the Minister for Predicting Winning Lotto Numbers.
Posted by: Anne Easby | August 24, 2011 at 10:38 AM
LOL - Minister for predicting winning lotto numbers - very good.
Posted by: Andy | August 24, 2011 at 11:25 AM
Yes, Combet's insinuation really is yet another sign of an increasingly desperate government. Some of the complete and utter tripe that flows forth seemingly every time a member of the socialist alliance opens their piehole and tries to justify the CO2 tax continues to stagger me. From Plibersek's now world renowned "We will lose the ability to feed ourselves" to Bob Brown's classis "We will lose the planet by 2050 if we don't act NOW" nothing that these imbeciles say leaves me dumbstruck anymore. Combet's grubby little smear is D grade politics at it's most insipid.
Posted by: CynicalGoatWA | August 24, 2011 at 11:25 AM
WTF indeed. Further proof that the lunatics are running the asylum.
I am expecting Combet to also state the Coalition's climate policy is sexist and homophobic as well.
Posted by: Richo | August 24, 2011 at 11:44 AM
Funny, where has he been ?, I just read the story on the US stock exchanged which just reciently 'dumped' carbon trading as it's stock is now worthless. I think this guy is a mental case and is being denied latest information. Or is it he thinks WE have ?
Posted by: john neeting | August 24, 2011 at 12:25 PM
Richo, love your humour. You are quite right, the "lunatics are running the asylum."
A good laugh if not so serious. They are so desperate they can't think of anything which is even close to being sensible. When Combet comes on the TV my 4 year old granddaughter says "look there's Harry Potter"!!!
Posted by: Georgina | August 24, 2011 at 12:52 PM
Don't forget our "Minister for Rising Sea Levels and You Hate Your Grandkids if You Don't Agree" also bought beach front property in Newcastle.
Posted by: kraka | August 24, 2011 at 03:01 PM
Yes, thank you for warning us against the unscrupulous international traders, all the Australian traders are squicky clean and we have never had people like Skase & Bond, or someone selling a pill to make your car run better. And thanks Andy for telling us evidences to support your claim that foreign sourced CO2 abatment certificates are "dubious".
But the one claim that really had me on the floor rolling with laughter was that "Tony Abbott" uses "common sense". Now, come on, the man that claims CO2 has no weight has common sense? Give me a break, try writing something that makes sense. As the PM said to people like you "stop writing crap, it can't be that hard?".
Posted by: dante | August 24, 2011 at 03:20 PM
Only an idiot would think buying a foreign sourced CO2 abatement certificate was a great idea.
Use my analogy to think about.
You can’t clean you own backyard by paying for someone else to clean somebody else’s backyard.
That’s what we are going to do when we buy foreign sourced CO2 abatement certificates.
It’s a con and what’s worse, by 2050 it will cost us $57,000,000,000.00 a year – and what do you get for that – a piece of paper saying you abated X tons on CO2 in Nigeria.
Tony Abbott should have said that CO2 is a colourless, odourless and invisible trace gas.
Makes up 385ppm in the Atmosphere.
Food for plants.
Posted by: Andy | August 24, 2011 at 04:07 PM