Posted on 09/11/2006 8:15:20 AM PDT by dead
Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane has dismissed Al Gore's climate change documentary, saying he would not be taking advice from an unsuccessful presidential candidate.
The former US vice-president, who narrowly lost the 2000 election to George W Bush in controversial circumstances, is in Australia to promote his documentary, An Inconvenient Truth.
The film documents the dangers of global warming and Australia is singled out twice as lagging behind the rest of the world on climate change.
Mr Gore has urged Prime Minister John Howard to join the fight against the growing environmental problem.
But Mr Howard has said he will not be meeting Mr Gore during his Australian visit, while Mr Macfarlane has dismissed the film as "just entertainment".
Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek was thrown out of parliament for interjecting as Mr Macfarlane said he would not ask someone who could not win an election for advice on climate change.
"There are three places I do not go for advice on climate change," Mr Macfarlane said.
"One of them is to unsuccessful candidates for the US presidency who cannot even convince their own people that they are right.
"The second place is the movie ... the third place is the Labor Party, who promote a policy that will cost jobs in Australia."
Both the US and Australia have refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Mr Gore planned to speak to Mr Howard on the phone to convince him to change his position.
Opposition environment spokesman Anthony Albanese said Mr Macfarlane was arrogant and naive to dismiss An Inconvenient Truth as entertainment.
He said the film documented the scientific consensus that climate change had led to a significant increase in both the duration and intensity of hurricanes, and a drop in rainfall in agricultural areas.
"The minister should explain what was entertaining about Hurricane Katrina and other extreme weather events," Mr Albanese said.
Greenpeace says Mr Howard is too ashamed to see the film.
"He's been spoiling Kyoto on behalf of the Bush administration and pushing and pimping coal exports wherever he can," Greenpeace nuclear campaigner Danny Kennedy said.
"That's why he can't go. He's too ashamed to expose his real record."
© 2006 AAP
"There are three places I do not go for advice on climate change," Mr Macfarlane said.
"One of them is to unsuccessful candidates for the US presidency who cannot even convince their own people that they are right.
"The second place is the movie ... the third place is the Labor Party, who promote a policy that will cost jobs in Australia."
PRICELESS!!!
"The former US vice-president, who narrowly lost the 2000 election to George W Bush in controversial circumstances.."
A more accurate description would have been:
"The former US vice-president, who attempted to steal the 2000 election from George W. Bush.."
Ian Macfarlane, my new hero.
HAHAHA ... that just tickled my funny bone.
I thought Algore Jr. was the partisan hack who made a play for conservative support (prior to his run for the White House) by being the nation's chief "rock critic" with the Senate subcommittee hearings on bad influences.
Can we bring over some of the conservative pols from Oz to take care of business here? Howard minces no words about radical Muslims and this guy tells algore to hop on a log and float back to the US.
Gotta love Mr. MacFarlane!
Let's import him!
Howard-Giuliani - or - Giuliani-Howard?
I like his advice to the Muslims in Australia, too. Live under our laws or get out. 'Nuff said.
Let's import him!
Howard-Giuliani - or - Giuliani-Howard?
Let's recruit Howard in 08 and give the Australians two future draft picks from the US...
I frikkin laughed so hard when I saw this for the first time...did you do this one???
VERY well done!
"The minister should explain what was entertaining about Hurricane Katrina and other extreme weather events,"
These ones I don't like, and they can keep 'em. Didn't the hurricane experts say that last year's hurricane season had nothing to do with any warming?
Yeah, that one's mine. Glad you enjoyed it!
We'll trade and keep the names the same. We get John Howard, and they get a John (Kerry) and a Howard (Dean).
Truly cosmic.
The same can be said of Anthony Albanese, whose experience before going into politics consisted of an undergrad degree in econ and a short stint as a bank officer.
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