The political leaders of Canada and Australia declared on Monday they won’t take any action to battle climate change that harms their national economies and threatens jobs. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said that no country is going to undertake actions on climate change — “no matter what they say” — that will “deliberately destroy jobs and growth in their country." --Mark Kennedy,
Ottawa Citizen, 9 June 2014
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott is seeking an alliance among "like-minded" nations to thwart efforts to introduce carbon pricing and American President Barack Obama's move to push climate change through global forums like G20. Abbott, who is visiting Canada for talks with the country's prime minister and his close friend Stephen Harper, said efforts are underway to form a new "center-right" alliance under the leadership of Canada, UK, Australia, India and New Zealand. Reports said the alliance is a "calculated attempt" to push back on what both Mr Abbott and Mr Harper sees as a "left-liberal agenda" to raise taxes and "unwise" plans to address the issue of global warming. --Reissa Su,
International Business Times, 10 June 2014
The political leaders of Canada and Australia declared on Monday they won’t take any action to battle climate change that harms their national economies and threatens jobs. Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Australian counterpart, Tony Abbott, made the statements following a meeting on Parliament Hill. Both leaders stressed that they won’t be pushed into taking steps on climate change they deem unwise. Harper said that no country is going to undertake actions on climate change — “no matter what they say” — that will “deliberately destroy jobs and growth in their country. “We are just a little more frank about that.” --Mark Kennedy,
Ottawa Citizen, 9 June 2014
“Like-minded” countries such as Britain, Canada and India should form a conservative alliance with Australia to limit action on climate change and to prevent the introduction of carbon pricing, the country’s prime minister Tony Abbott has said. Seeking to counter Barack Obama’s efforts for international action to reduce carbon emissions, Mr Abbott has reportedly sought to create a “combined front” with fellow Commonwealth nations that have conservative governments. During a visit to Canada, Mr Abbott called for limited action on climate change that would not “clobber the economy”. --Jonathan Pearlman,
The Daily Telegraph, 10 June 2014
Europe’s climate strategy was founded on two fears: first, that global warming was an urgent threat that needed to be prevented imminently and at all costs; and second, that the world was running out of fossil fuels, which meant oil and gas would become ever more expensive. Both conjectures, however, turned out to be wrong. The result of a fear-driven gamble with the Continent’s industrial future is a costly shambles that threatens to undercut Europe’s economic and political position in a world that is sensibly refusing to follow its lead. Australians would be well advised to watch this green train wreck very closely if they wish to avoid a repeat of the fiasco that is unfolding in Europe. --Benny Peiser,
The Australian, 10 August 2013
A key concession touted by vulnerable Democrats in the administration’s new carbon pollution standards may provide the greatest legal threat to the controversial new rules, the cornerstone of President Obama’s climate change agenda. Red-state Democrats have generally been critical of the overall climate rule, but see the flexibility option as a benefit for energy industries, allowing each state to choose a method that reflects its priorities. Legal observers, though, aren’t sure the EPA’s maneuver will pass muster in the courts. Many legal experts, and even Obama’s top climate adviser, John Podesta, expect challenges, putting the future of the rules in the hands of the courts once it’s finalized. --Laura Barron-Lopez,
The Hill, 8 June 2014
