Indeed, she’s noted that such debates are a waste of time.
Instead, the focus should be on adaption and mitigating techniques when it comes to bushfires in Australia.
The Minister’s comments come as Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said the Government’s climate policies will “evolve” in the years ahead.
It also comes as Liberal MP and known climate denier Craig Kelly debated the issue on live British TV last week, leading a baffled Piers Morgan to tell him to “wake up”.
And as the Morrison Government is under considerable pressure from scientists, corporate Australia and the rest of the world to use the current bushfire crisis to pivot their stance on climate change.
Andrews told the Sydney Morning Herald today that: “Every second we spend discussing if climate change is real is a second we don’t spend addressing these issues. Let’s move on and get over this.”
“My starting position in the discussion tomorrow will be that the climate has changed and it continues to change. We need to focus on the steps to adapt and mitigate the impact of those changes.”
She also backed up her comments on ABC News Breakfast this morning. “It’s time to move on and look at what we need to do,” she said, adding that she wants to discuss practical solutions.
“We need to stop constantly talking about whether climate change is happenning or not,” she said.
The Andrews’ led roundtable will feature scientists from Science & Technology Australia, the CSIRO, the Academy of Science, the Bushfire Co-operative Research Centre and more.
Karen Andrews has been the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology since 2018. She graduated from mechanical engineering in the early 1980s and has spent time working on power plants in Victoria and Queensland.