One of Morrison’s own ministers, David Littleproud, told Sky New yesterday he’s “not sure” if climate change is manmade, nor does he think it matters.
Littleproud is the minister for water resources, drought, natural disasters and emergency management. A rather significant portfolio to have no opinions on the causes of climate change.
The issue’s come up on account of NSW and Queensland experiencing unprecedented bushfire conditions and a dangerously early start to the fire season, with dozens of fires today burning across NSW and Queensland.
Littleproud was asked about how climate change might be factoring in.
His response? “I’ve got no idea. Does it really matter?”
“So just to be clear,” responded David Speers, “you’re not sure whether manmade climate change is real?”
“No I’m not,” David Littleproud said. “I’m going to be honest with you. I don’t really have an opinion. I don’t think it really matters”
Littleproud earlier told ABC’s Radio National that Australia has been adapting to a changing climate “since we first settled this country” and will continue to do so based on the best science available.
Good news for Littleproud, there is plenty of science already available regarding the links and even a narrowing opportunity to avoid some of the worst warming predicted and avoid more of the natural disasters his portfolio aim to address.
He later reiterated he’s ‘not sure’ if climate change is manmade stance with The Guardian, and said that his responsibility is to ensure, “we have the tools to adapt to a changing climate.”
Maybe it’s time to change his portfolio title then?
Littleproud’s stance is in stark contrast to the sentiment being expressed by many other politicians. A group of cross-benchers, accompanied by former Liberal leader John Hewson, are in Canberra today to urge the coalition to give its MPs a conscience vote on declaring Australia in a state of climate emergency.
“Climate was an emergency some 30 years ago,” Hewson told Radio National on Wednesday. “MPs and senators should have a conscience vote on the emergency declaration so that individual members of parliament can be held personally accountable by their constituents, their children and their grandchildren, indeed by all future generations, for the stance they took on the greatest economic, social, political and moral challenge of this century.”