PRIME Minister Scott Morrison has told UK negotiators not to confuse trade with climate as he pushes back against ideological creep.
In a blunt, Australia-first approach, he has forced all references to temperature goals out of any future trade deal with the newly independent UK.
- PM removes all references to temperature goals from pending UK Free Trade Agreement.
- Tough stance leaves NSW Liberals, Labor’s Left faction and UN in a huff.
- Mr Morrison has doubled-down in defence of coal mining.
“In trade agreements, I deal with trade issues. In climate agreements, I deal with climate issues,” Mr Morrison told negotiators.
The UK, which has committed to higher targets than required under Paris, is attempting to transfer its commitment onto trading partners.
TOUGH
The prime minister’s tough stance has NSW Liberals, Labor’s Left faction and the UN in a huff.
“Morrison never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity,” Labor shadow climate minister Chris Bowen said via social media.
“So opposed to action on climate change that they even asked the Brits to drop it from trade negotiations.
“The world’s climate emergency is Australia’s jobs opportunity but the Morrison government isn’t up to the job.”
But Mr Morrison has doubled down, according to reports in The Australian newspaper.
In response to the UN – which is attempting to shame Australia into ending coal production by 2030 – Mr Morrison said Australian mines would continue to operate “well into the future”.
“We will keep mining the resources that we’re able to sell on the world market,” Mr Morrison said.
“[The world market] will continue, as the current agreements already provide for, to use the resources that Australia has exported for a long time and will continue to, well into the future.” he said.
DEMAND
“We obviously anticipate that over time world demand for these things may change.
“We’ll work, particularly with developing countries, to ensure that they are able to engage in a positive transition of their own energy economies.”
World coal demand has never been higher and the price per tonne is sitting at 10-year highs.
Demand has pushed the international coal price a tad under US$150 per tonne. The last time it enjoyed a sustained run above US$120 was a decade ago.
Yet big business appears to be listening to – and acting upon – the rubbish the UN spouts.
Australian banks are now refusing to underwrite production of the nation’s staple energy source – coal.
And they’re being cheered on by inner-city Greens who piously lecture Australians to feel good about their businesses closing, families losing their main source of income and shops shutting in regional cities and towns.
Australian banks and insurers announced as recently as June they were withdrawing support from Australia’s second-most valuable export in the name of greenwashing their Environment, Social & Governance performance.
Unless this is quickly reversed, Australia will struggle to develop new mines and coal supply will quickly diminish as existing pits are exhausted.
BLINDED
Australia could, as absurd as it sounds, become a coal importer.
This is because much of the nation’s political leadership – the PM being a possible and rare exception – has been so completely blinded by Green ideology that they’re incapable of stepping in and stopping this mess.
And that’s assuming they’d even want to – which is questionable.PC
Well done to our Prime Minister for standing up to what is a correct (right?) decision. It was about time this was called out. Imagine if ScoMo was to ask BoJo to change his immigration policy, what to you reckon BoJo’s response would be?
But wait there is more, tying climate change policy to National Security? Labor trying to be relevant again?
The UK treats Australia like an idiot kid brother.
Who can blame them. We still wave their flag and bow to their queen, like gutless little colonials.
We get from the UK as much respect as we show ourselves. None.
I couldn’t care less what Morrison has to say. He is an unAustralian liar. The despotic rubbish he has brought and allowed States to bring in their politically engineered flu response will go down as one of the worst times in Australian history. He and the rest of them have been responsible for hundreds of deaths, not from the flu but because of their reaction. I thought Malcolm the weak, was bad but Morrison is destroying Australia. He is dividing us and setting us up against each other. He is trampling all over the Constitution and my one wish it to see him charged with treason and sedition. I despise him and all the other politicians that are supporting him. Comment away, I don’t care.
Morrison confuses the bejesus out of me. But, somehow, he always comes through. Good man, strange tactics.
‘“In trade agreements, I deal with trade issues. In climate agreements, I deal with climate issues,” Mr Morrison told negotiators.’
Morrison confuses you because he himself is a very confused individual – someone who doesn’t know the difference between things that are real, such as trade, and things that are not, such as “climate change”. Apart from being confused, he is also a limp-wristed, weak-kneed sell-out; a pusillanimous prevaricator par excellence who is nothing more than a political place-holder.
“[…] somehow, [Morrison] always comes through.”
The people for whom he comes through are the left-wingers who have taken over the “Liberal” party, and who are busy implementing their toxic agenda whilst Scott distracts the crowd with pea-and-thimble policies and devotes considerable time and effort to perfecting the art of speaking out both sides of his thoroughly incompetent arse.