No, not the villain from the Matrix. This is Australian Head of the Center Right Liberal Party Tony Abbott
We’ve heard this garbage before, but we’re used to hearing it from right wing crazy people here in America. But when a prominent politician and possible PM hopeful in Australia echoes Freedomworks‘ anti-Science stance on global climate change, it is cause for alarm. Tony Abbott pictured here, has gone on the record saying: ‘‘I don’t think we can say that the science is settled here’’ He went on to question whether ‘‘emissions are quite the problem that some people say they are’’, and argued, ‘‘whether carbon dioxide is quite the environmental villain that some people make it out to be is not yet proven.” This is contrary to the findings of roughly 97% of climate scientists who study the effects of man-made pollutants on our global ecosphere. Unfortunately, Australian politics is not laden with stars in the Labor party (which is akin to our Democratic Party in the U.S.) and no one candidate is poised to take the reins of government like Tony Abbott in the September 14 elections later this year.
There are code words the conservatives in the U.S. often use to indicate they are anti-science and pro-big business, with little regard for the environment and health of their people and wildlife. Mr. Abbott takes a page out of the GOP playbook and uses the catchphrase, “the climate change-science is far from settled” here:
Not only is this man, who likely will win in a divided political climate, a danger to those who will be impacted by the rising tides and weather catastrophes in store for all of us if we don’t lower emissions, but Mr. Abbott is a highly religious “family” man, reminiscent of the U.S. pro-life crowd. A poll of 100 voters across Sydney found that Labor and Green voters despise the way Abbott injects religion into his political campaign and policy. On the other hand, Liberal voters respect Abbott as a ‘conviction politician’ who is firm on his beliefs. Liberals, mind you, are like the GOP in America, except a bit more logical. You’d actually be hard pressed to find a party like the Teaparty-laden GOP in a Western Democracy. Abbott has been called “Mad Monk” and “Captain Catholic” by some who believe, as many of us do here in the USA, that religion has no place in politics.
In order to appear as equally sexist, misogynistic and bigoted as his American Teaparty counterparts, Tony Abbott has a rich history of chauvinistic bullying in his C.V. His attempt at mirroring candidates like “legitimate rape” failed Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin are evident in this quote: “When it comes from Julia (Gillard, the unmarried, current PM) , ‘No’ doesn’t mean ‘No’,” his choice of that charged term was completely intentional, and part of a nasty, subterranean agenda. He often refers to the current PM, Ms. Gillard, as unqualified on matters of family as she has no children. He appeals to the farthest right wing elements of his country and to think a man of Abbott’s transparent motives has a such great odds at winning in September is quite disturbing to many Australians.
The last thing a world in turmoil from unchecked corporate hegemony needs is another puppet leader like George W. Bush in a hemisphere that has been wrought with climate change disasters as of late. In a world where the most educated and civilized are moving away from religious dogma dictating social policy, it is anachronistic to have a man like Abbott as head of any state. Generally, Australians are only given one month’s notice of an upcoming election. Hopefully PM Gillard, with this unusual time frame, has given the Labor Party enough notice to try to best a dreadful candidate who will only depress a fairly strong world economy who has averted a recession. The Progressives of America are with you Australia. I hope we can help keep another Mitt Romney from a “Down Under” victory.
