ID :
192066
Thu, 06/30/2011 - 14:36
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/192066
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Garnaut bows out with a media swipe
SYDNEY (AAP) - June 30 - The federal government's climate change adviser Ross Garnaut has celebrated his last day in the job with a stinging rebuke of the Australian media and a swipe at the most recent Liberal government.
Professor Garnaut, who compiled his original Climate Change Review in 2008 and an updated version last November, said much of the media and public discussion on climate change was crude and distorted.
He described reaction to some of his conclusions as "somewhat rabid" and chided the media for misrepresenting US climate change policy.
Prof Garnaut also warned of the worst result of a rejection of carbon pricing would send Australia into a political retreat.
"If carbon pricing were defeated this time around it would open the way to myriad regulatory interventions," Prof Garnaut told a Melbourne conference.
"These would raise costs directly, there would be no opportunity to introduce productivity-raising tax cuts as a form of compensation to low and middle income earners.
"Most importantly of all, a return to regulatory intervention would entrench the deterioration of the Australian political culture, regrettably, we saw at the beginning of this century."
Prof Garnaut's report, which forms the basis for the current government's carbon tax discussion, had, however, come at an opportune time, he said.
Repeating the view of Reserve Bank governor Glenn Stevens, Prof Garnaut said Australia's climate of economic prosperity, a time when average incomes in this country exceeded those of Americans for the first time in 100 years, was ideal for structural change.
"A time when terms of trade are at record levels is the best of times for structural change - certainly the best of times economically," he said.
For all that, the political scenario, fuelled by an irresponsible media, presented difficulties, he said.
"Much of the media and public discussion of climate change policy over the past nine months has been about the crudest and most distorted discussion of a major public policy in my experience," Prof Garnaut said.
"Facts are ignored, the rules of logic violated and it's rare for people expressing very strong opinions on particular issues to go back and actually read the document on which they are commenting."
Prof Garnaut also expressed concern that his conclusions on US government attitudes to climate change have been misrepresented.
"There has been a somewhat rabid reaction to the conclusions of my analysis in some parts of the media," he said.
He said he had reported "faithfully" on discussions he had with leading Obama administration figures.
Despite the obstacles, Professor Garnaut believes a satisfactory outcome to the carbon pricing question will be found.
"Given the character of the public discussion of the past nine months, this would be an extraordinary result," he said.
"This is a reform where the costs all come early and the benefits all come later - huge benefits, necessary benefits, if we care about the future generations of Australians."
Prof Garnaut believes a defeat of the government's impending carbon pricing legislation would end any hope of climate change mitigation policies that reduced emissions at reasonable cost.
"Fortunately that unhappy outcome now seems unlikely," he said.
Professor Garnaut, who compiled his original Climate Change Review in 2008 and an updated version last November, said much of the media and public discussion on climate change was crude and distorted.
He described reaction to some of his conclusions as "somewhat rabid" and chided the media for misrepresenting US climate change policy.
Prof Garnaut also warned of the worst result of a rejection of carbon pricing would send Australia into a political retreat.
"If carbon pricing were defeated this time around it would open the way to myriad regulatory interventions," Prof Garnaut told a Melbourne conference.
"These would raise costs directly, there would be no opportunity to introduce productivity-raising tax cuts as a form of compensation to low and middle income earners.
"Most importantly of all, a return to regulatory intervention would entrench the deterioration of the Australian political culture, regrettably, we saw at the beginning of this century."
Prof Garnaut's report, which forms the basis for the current government's carbon tax discussion, had, however, come at an opportune time, he said.
Repeating the view of Reserve Bank governor Glenn Stevens, Prof Garnaut said Australia's climate of economic prosperity, a time when average incomes in this country exceeded those of Americans for the first time in 100 years, was ideal for structural change.
"A time when terms of trade are at record levels is the best of times for structural change - certainly the best of times economically," he said.
For all that, the political scenario, fuelled by an irresponsible media, presented difficulties, he said.
"Much of the media and public discussion of climate change policy over the past nine months has been about the crudest and most distorted discussion of a major public policy in my experience," Prof Garnaut said.
"Facts are ignored, the rules of logic violated and it's rare for people expressing very strong opinions on particular issues to go back and actually read the document on which they are commenting."
Prof Garnaut also expressed concern that his conclusions on US government attitudes to climate change have been misrepresented.
"There has been a somewhat rabid reaction to the conclusions of my analysis in some parts of the media," he said.
He said he had reported "faithfully" on discussions he had with leading Obama administration figures.
Despite the obstacles, Professor Garnaut believes a satisfactory outcome to the carbon pricing question will be found.
"Given the character of the public discussion of the past nine months, this would be an extraordinary result," he said.
"This is a reform where the costs all come early and the benefits all come later - huge benefits, necessary benefits, if we care about the future generations of Australians."
Prof Garnaut believes a defeat of the government's impending carbon pricing legislation would end any hope of climate change mitigation policies that reduced emissions at reasonable cost.
"Fortunately that unhappy outcome now seems unlikely," he said.
