A leading government conservative has put a question mark over Australia’s continued participation in the Paris climate agreement in the event Donald Trump decides the United States will pull out.
The assistant minister for social services and multicultural affairs, Zed Seselja, one of the government’s up-and-coming conservative figures, told Sky News on Monday that “as it stands” the Turnbull government was committed to Paris agreement, but if the US quit the pact, that would change the nature of the agreement.
He added Canberra was currently “doing more than our share, in my opinion”.
Seselja said Australia was committed to the Paris agreement and had put forward targets. “They are strong measures: 26-28% [in greenhouse gas reductions]. So we are doing more than our share, in my opinion,” he said Monday.
Asked about what would happen if Trump followed through with his campaign threat to pull out, Seselja said: “When it comes to the US’s position that is a matter for the new US administration.”
The Coalition
frontbencher said if America withdrew, that would change the nature of
the agreement. “Obviously you wouldn’t want to speculate, but if they
were to pull out obviously that would change the nature of that
agreement.
“But as it stands, the Australian government is committed to the Paris agreement.”
Trump is believed to be close to making a decision about whether to stay the course on the Paris agreement or pull out. The president has previously promised to “cancel” the deal, but reports suggest his advisers are split over whether quitting the compact would be worth the resulting diplomatic fallout.
The president has already signed a new executive order to unravel a number of Barack Obama’s regulatory measures to combat climate change, including eliminating the clean power plan, which sets limits on the amount of greenhouse gases that power plants emit.
Seselja’s comments on Monday follow an earlier public warning from the chair of the Turnbull government’s backbench committee on environment and energy, fellow conservative, Craig Kelly.
Kelly said Australia would need to review its participation in the Paris agreement on climate change if Trump pulled out.
Asked a month ago whether a majority of his Coalition colleagues would be in favour of quitting the Paris deal in the event Trump pulled out, Kelly told Guardian Australia “it would be a close run thing”.
If Trump withdraws, it would embolden conservative MPs to reopen a deeply contentious issue within Coalition ranks.
The Turnbull government has been attempting to hold the line on the Paris deal, arguing once Australia makes a commitment to a global deal, it follows through.
The prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, told reporters last November, on the day the Australian government ratified the Paris accord, that Australia would stay the course.
He indicated it would take the US four years to withdraw from the agreement after ratification in the event Washington resolved to quit.
CANBERRA, Wednesday June 22: Canberra voters have held a protest at Senator Zed Seselja’s office in Canberra today to shine a spotlight on the devastating impacts of his and his Government’s inaction on climate change and their continued support of the fossil fuel industry.
Outside the office, dozens of Canberrans from all walks of life gathered for a rally and created a display of the climate change impacts that are affecting Australian communities during this election campaign and which have gone largely ignored by the Coalition.
People dressed as fossil fuel executives entered the building to demonstrate the cosy relationship the Liberal party has with coal, oil and gas companies. A large banner was dropped from above the Senator’s office reading ‘Climate Action Blocker’.
“Senator Seselja has been a strong advocate for the fossil fuel industry, arguing that moving beyond coal will send us back to the caves. In Parliament, he has strongly opposed the carbon price, increasing renewable energy investment and the mining tax,” Vanessa Farrelly, ACT coordinator for SEED the Indigenous Youth Climate Network, said.
“He is one of the climate blockers. Political parties have received $3.7 million since the last election and in return fossil fuel companies receive $7.7 billion in subsidies. This exchange must stop to protect vulnerable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities on the frontlines of climate change impacts. From rising sea levels in the Torres Strait, to severe droughts in remote communities, our people are being hit first and worst now. Justice for Indigenous peoples depends on strong climate policies.”
Graeme Kelleher, AO, former CEO of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, and currently an Ocean Elder addressed the protest.
“The greatest threat to humanity and the whole living world, including the Great Barrier Reef, is climate change caused by burning fossil fuels. We must cooperate in replacing coal use with renewables, especially solar,” he said.
Dr Liz Hanna Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University, and President of the Climate And Health Alliance spoke on the health impacts of climate change.
“The human health toll from fossil fueled Climate change is sky-rocketing, with 8.2 million deaths every year from air pollution alone. Heat deaths are up 2300%, and the WHO calculate that unhealthy environments now cause a quarter of all deaths worldwide. We must stop Australian from killing people” said Dr Hanna said.
Dr Nick Abel, former CSIRO scientist highlighted the disparity in the government’s spending on science and on subsidies to the fossil fuel industry.
“The estimated annual saving to CSIRO from the reduction in climate change research is around $12m in salaries, compared with an annual subsidy to the fossil fuel industry of around $7.7bn, ” Dr Abel said.
This is one of a series of protests taking place this week around Australia, to highlight the links between politics and fossil fuels, including subsidies to companies from the government and donations to political parties from the fossil fuel industry.
Media Enquiries:
The assistant minister for social services and multicultural affairs, Zed Seselja, one of the government’s up-and-coming conservative figures, told Sky News on Monday that “as it stands” the Turnbull government was committed to Paris agreement, but if the US quit the pact, that would change the nature of the agreement.
He added Canberra was currently “doing more than our share, in my opinion”.
Seselja said Australia was committed to the Paris agreement and had put forward targets. “They are strong measures: 26-28% [in greenhouse gas reductions]. So we are doing more than our share, in my opinion,” he said Monday.
Asked about what would happen if Trump followed through with his campaign threat to pull out, Seselja said: “When it comes to the US’s position that is a matter for the new US administration.”
“But as it stands, the Australian government is committed to the Paris agreement.”
Trump is believed to be close to making a decision about whether to stay the course on the Paris agreement or pull out. The president has previously promised to “cancel” the deal, but reports suggest his advisers are split over whether quitting the compact would be worth the resulting diplomatic fallout.
The president has already signed a new executive order to unravel a number of Barack Obama’s regulatory measures to combat climate change, including eliminating the clean power plan, which sets limits on the amount of greenhouse gases that power plants emit.
Seselja’s comments on Monday follow an earlier public warning from the chair of the Turnbull government’s backbench committee on environment and energy, fellow conservative, Craig Kelly.
Kelly said Australia would need to review its participation in the Paris agreement on climate change if Trump pulled out.
Asked a month ago whether a majority of his Coalition colleagues would be in favour of quitting the Paris deal in the event Trump pulled out, Kelly told Guardian Australia “it would be a close run thing”.
If Trump withdraws, it would embolden conservative MPs to reopen a deeply contentious issue within Coalition ranks.
The Turnbull government has been attempting to hold the line on the Paris deal, arguing once Australia makes a commitment to a global deal, it follows through.
The prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, told reporters last November, on the day the Australian government ratified the Paris accord, that Australia would stay the course.
He indicated it would take the US four years to withdraw from the agreement after ratification in the event Washington resolved to quit.
* * * *
Protest at Senator Zed Seselja’s office demanding climate change action
CANBERRA, Wednesday June 22: Canberra voters have held a protest at Senator Zed Seselja’s office in Canberra today to shine a spotlight on the devastating impacts of his and his Government’s inaction on climate change and their continued support of the fossil fuel industry.
Outside the office, dozens of Canberrans from all walks of life gathered for a rally and created a display of the climate change impacts that are affecting Australian communities during this election campaign and which have gone largely ignored by the Coalition.
People dressed as fossil fuel executives entered the building to demonstrate the cosy relationship the Liberal party has with coal, oil and gas companies. A large banner was dropped from above the Senator’s office reading ‘Climate Action Blocker’.
“Senator Seselja has been a strong advocate for the fossil fuel industry, arguing that moving beyond coal will send us back to the caves. In Parliament, he has strongly opposed the carbon price, increasing renewable energy investment and the mining tax,” Vanessa Farrelly, ACT coordinator for SEED the Indigenous Youth Climate Network, said.
“He is one of the climate blockers. Political parties have received $3.7 million since the last election and in return fossil fuel companies receive $7.7 billion in subsidies. This exchange must stop to protect vulnerable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities on the frontlines of climate change impacts. From rising sea levels in the Torres Strait, to severe droughts in remote communities, our people are being hit first and worst now. Justice for Indigenous peoples depends on strong climate policies.”
Graeme Kelleher, AO, former CEO of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, and currently an Ocean Elder addressed the protest.
“The greatest threat to humanity and the whole living world, including the Great Barrier Reef, is climate change caused by burning fossil fuels. We must cooperate in replacing coal use with renewables, especially solar,” he said.
Dr Liz Hanna Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University, and President of the Climate And Health Alliance spoke on the health impacts of climate change.
“The human health toll from fossil fueled Climate change is sky-rocketing, with 8.2 million deaths every year from air pollution alone. Heat deaths are up 2300%, and the WHO calculate that unhealthy environments now cause a quarter of all deaths worldwide. We must stop Australian from killing people” said Dr Hanna said.
Dr Nick Abel, former CSIRO scientist highlighted the disparity in the government’s spending on science and on subsidies to the fossil fuel industry.
“The estimated annual saving to CSIRO from the reduction in climate change research is around $12m in salaries, compared with an annual subsidy to the fossil fuel industry of around $7.7bn, ” Dr Abel said.
This is one of a series of protests taking place this week around Australia, to highlight the links between politics and fossil fuels, including subsidies to companies from the government and donations to political parties from the fossil fuel industry.
Media Enquiries:
- MaryClare Woodforde 0450 578 937
- Lou Fraser 0438 993 068
- Images and video from today’s action will be available as soon as possible here
- Images from around the country available here
- Video available here
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