The prime ministers of Canada and Australia together took a hard line against measures to mitigate climate change if those measures would hurt their countries’ economies. At a joint news conference with the visiting Australian leader, Stephen Harper said, “No matter what they say, no country is going to take actions that are going to deliberately destroy jobs and growth in their country. We are just a little more frank about that.”
‘We shouldn’t clobber the economy’
Australia’s Tony Abbott added, the world should do what it reasonable can to limit greenhouse gas emissions and man-made climate change, “but we shouldn’t clobber the economy.” Abbott ended Australia’s carbon tax when he came to office, and Harper praised him for doing so.
Abbott praised Harper calling him a guide to centre-right politicians around the world.
Canada’s ‘progress’ on climate change disputed
Harper told reporters he feels the same pressure “that we all feel” to make progress against climate change, and said recent measures taken by U.S. President Barack Obama don’t go nearly as far in the electricity sector as Canada’s measures.
However, environmentalists say most of Canada’s emissions were not from the electricity sector but from the oil and gas industry. They add the U.S. may reach its most recent goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, whereas Canada admits it will exceed emissions. Successive Canadian governments have failed to meet their Kyoto and successive obligations to control carbon emissions.
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