ECNT Coordinator Peter Robertson said Mr Turnbull was reported on the ABC as stating:

‘Australia is still reducing its greenhouse gas emissions significantly, but it is also focused on adapting to the inevitable impact of global warming.'

Mr Robertson said this statement was false and misleading and called into question the new Minister’s grasp of the seriousness of the global warming crisis.

“The Commonwealth’s own Australian Greenhouse Office, which publishes the official figures on Australia’s emissions, shows that our emissions are increasing annually, and in the key energy and transport sectors, are increasing at an alarming rate:

“What we continue to see under this new Minister, as we did under previous Ministers, is a stubborn and irresponsible refusal to really address the problem and the readily available and affordable solutions.

“It is imperative that the Howard government stop covering for the fossil fuel industry, and stop diverting attention to the dirty, dangerous nuclear industry, and implement policies that will actually lead to a decrease in our emissions.

Further comment: Peter Robertson – 0409 089 020